Solar Waste: A Burgeoning Problem

Scientists at America's National Renewable Laboratory have warned that in the next few decades, the world faces a 'tidal wave' of redundant blades that will number hundreds of thousands, if not more. It's estimated that by 2050, up to 78 million tons of solar panels will have reached the end of their life and the world will create another six million tons of photovoltaic waste every year. Where to put all of that is potentially an even bigger headache than wind turbine blades. It's very complicated to recover the more valuable materials, such as silver and silicon, used in solar panels. ¹

One reason the world may be throwing away so much not-so-renewable waste is that recycling it costs ten times as much as what is removed. Research suggests the cost of recovering the materials outweighs the cost of extracting what can be used by a ratio of ten to one. In other words, if the cost of recycling is $10 you get only $1 back. Who would have thought that collecting low density energy in extreme environments would create megatons of tough, non-biodegradable infrastructure, embedded with toxic heavy metals? ² And unlike wind turbine blades, solar panels contain toxic materials such as lead that can contaminate the ground as they break down, so dumping them in landfill sites poses serious issues. Standard electronic recycling methods don't cut it for solar panels. Recovering the most valuable materials from one, including silver and silicon, requires special recycling solutions. ³ The near total absence of end-of-life procedures for solar panels is likely a byproduct of the belief (and repeated assertion) that renewable energy is 'clean' and 'green.' 'Sunshine is a free fuel.' Well, sunshine is certainly free and clean, but not what's left from old panels. ⁴

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When solar panels do reach their end of life today, they face a few possible fates. Under EU law, producers are required to ensure their solar panels are recycled properly. In Japan, India, and Australia, recycling requirements are in the works. In the United States, it's the Wild West. With the exception of a state law in Washington, the US has no solar recycling mandates whatsoever. Voluntary, industry-led recycling efforts are limited in scope. ³ While coal, nuclear, and petrochemical companies must come up with detailed, costly plans for dealing with real or potential negative consequences of their operations, solar and wind companies have been 'rewarded' with massive subsidies and absolutely no disposal standards or requirements. No government grants require that solar companies set aside money to dispose of, store or recycle wastes generated during manufacture or after massive solar 'farms' have ceased functioning and been torn down. Solar and wind customers are likewise not charged for waste cleanup, disposal or reuse and recycling. This and massive subsidies distort and hide the true costs of solar and wind power. So when you read that solar energy is already cheaper than natural gas, don't be fooled. They are omitting the pollution and disposal costs, as well as habitat losses, solar heat islands, and the need for backup power generation or batteries to low ball the true costs of solar. ⁴

References

1. Tom Leonard, “Graveyard of the green giants: It's the hidden cost of our dash for wind power—thousands of decommissioned blades that are so difficult to recycle, they are just dumped as landfill,” dailymail.co.uk, February 27, 2022
2. Joanne Nova, “America's National Renewable Energy Lab warns a 'tidal wave' of wind and solar waste is coming,” joannenova.com.au, March 2, 2022
3. Maddie Stone, “Solar panels are starting to die. What will we do with the megatons of toxic trash?”, grist.org, August 13, 2020
4. Duggan Flanakin, “Solar panels generate mountains of waste—and heat the planet,” Canada Free Press, September 19, 2021