Used photovoltaic panels awaiting recycling in the Envie2E Aquitaine factory / Image: Energy Revolution – HL.
To save the climate, people are installing solar panels on the roofs of their homes. In Australia, especially. But researchers are now sounding the alarm. In order not to ruin these efforts, it is necessary to plan the ecological disposal of these panels that have become obsolete.
In just a few years, Australia has become the country with the most installed solar production capacity per capita. Around 1 kWp/inhabitant. Already, the country’s solar photovoltaic capacity exceeds that of coal-fired power generation. And, thanks to the closure of a 2,000 MW power plant in New South Wales scheduled for next month, the capacity of solar panels installed on Australian roofs – it is around 20 GW – could, on its own, be enough to outpace fossil capacity. But this should not make us forget that less than 15% of the electricity produced in Australia today is of solar origin. When nearly 70% of the country’s electricity is still produced from coal.
However, what worries the experts today is still elsewhere. A study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia indeed raises the annoying question: how will the country manage to dispose of the 80 million solar panels that will reach the end of their life from 2035 in an ecological way? ? The equivalent of 100,000 tonnes of waste. And the figure could even rise to 1 million tonnes of waste before 2050, given the enthusiasm of Australians for solar energy.
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Recycling solar panels
Recycling solar panels does not come naturally. It is necessary to mobilize a heavy die to separate each of the components. Remember also that the weather-resistant polymers used in solar panels release hydrogen fluoride when burned. An irritating gas that can cause nausea or even pulmonary oedema, normally filtered out in standard factories.
From a strictly economic point of view, it also seems important to organize the disposal of all these solar panels. To recover the silicon they contain, in particular. The material is certainly abundant. But demand is exploding. Researchers already estimate the value of the silicon used to build the approximately 3 billion solar panels installed worldwide at more than $7 billion. The sector could be profitable.
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Solutions to organize
As in some countries in Europe, landfill bans are already in place in some Australian states. This prevents the release of potentially toxic materials into the environment. The tool is powerful, say the researchers. Especially because it encourages thinking about recycling solar panels right from the manufacturing stage. Even at the time of dismantling. With the removal of frames or glass covers. The researchers also propose to reuse some solar panels that could still work with some efficiency.
To frame all this and avoid excesses, it will be necessary to legislate and invest in an industry which is still in its infancy today. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has said that the Australian government is working with stakeholders to design a solar energy waste management programme. And already, factories have been designated to receive the decommissioned solar panels.
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