{"id":54252,"date":"2021-09-24T05:45:51","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T19:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=54252"},"modified":"2021-09-24T05:45:51","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T19:15:51","slug":"solar-panel-battery-waste-mb2167","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panel-battery-waste-mb2167\/","title":{"rendered":"More Grants For Solar Panel And Battery Recycling\/Reuse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

Image: ArnoldReinhold<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/p><\/div>\n

A new round of NSW Government grants for innovative projects reusing and managing solar panel and battery waste kicked off yesterday. <\/p>\n

While good quality solar panels<\/a> should perform well for decades, it’s an unfortunate fact not all panels installed in Australia have been in this category and their working lives are cut short.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the nature of Australia\u2019s \u201csolar rebate<\/a>\u201d means a generous subsidy can be secured for each new solar power system installed. This leads to “out with the old and in with the new” at times when systems are upgraded, even if the panels are still working perfectly well.<\/p>\n

Sometimes solar panel waste is created through just bad luck; for example, particularly severe weather events such as freak hail storms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the circumstances under which this waste is created, keeping panels out of landfill is preferable if possible and economically viable<\/a> – and that may mean costs related to end-of-life issues are factored into prices for panels (and batteries) in the future.<\/p>\n

According to the EPA, NSW alone could generate 3,000 – 10,000 tonnes of solar panel and battery storage waste a year by 2025, with this figure jumping to 40,000 \u2013 71,000 tonnes per year a decade later.<\/p>\n

In an effort to get systems in place to better manage this waste1<\/a><\/sup>, the NSW Government created the $10 million Circular Solar grants program. Phase 1 of the program recently awarded a bit over $1.1 million in funding for two projects.<\/p>\n

Newcastle-based\u00a0 Blue Tribe Co.<\/a> received\u00a0 $217,800 to trial the use of pre-loved solar panels for a community solar project, and testing the feasibility of selling these panels in a secondary marketplace.<\/p>\n

$935,750 went to Wagga Wagga-based solar installation firm Solar Professionals<\/a> to set up what it believes to be a first-of-its-kind automated recycling facility able to recover all raw materials and components from end-of-life solar panels without cross contamination. Among its partners in the project<\/a> is Deakin University.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of these projects are underway, and now we\u2019re looking forward to seeing what exciting new ideas we receive in grant applications during this second round,” said<\/a> NSW EPA Engagement, Education and Programs Director Liesbet Spanjaard<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Circular Solar – Round 2<\/h2>\n

In this new round, $7 million is on offer across three streams:<\/p>\n