{"id":74673,"date":"2023-06-08T13:23:26","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T02:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=74673"},"modified":"2023-06-10T18:06:33","modified_gmt":"2023-06-10T07:36:33","slug":"solar-panel-recycling-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panel-recycling-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problem With Solar Panel Recycling In Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cleaning<\/p>\n

Australia’s solar panel recycling problem is huge. With no clear rules from government bodies, we’re left with a big mess and many questions. This two-part series will dig into this issue to clarify the confusion and find some answers.<\/p>\n

In this post, I’ll measure the size of the problem, bust some myths, and point out the main roadblocks. Part Two will discuss potential solutions, highlighting the brave people and businesses tackling these challenges.<\/p>\n

Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n

Show Me The Money<\/h2>\n

There’s a famous quote by American author Hunter S. Thompson about the TV business, which has been misquoted and twisted to suit whichever industry anyone chooses. Here’s my take on it:<\/p>\n

“The solar business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This may seem a bit overstated, but it encapsulates the core issue: despite no longer being a fledgling industry, the solar sector has yet to find an effective method for disposing of expired solar panels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And that reason can be summed up in four words – It doesn’t make money.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Nor does flushing the toilet, but we still have to do it.<\/p>\n

Houston, Do We Have A Problem?<\/h2>\n

A recent report published by CPVA (Circular PV Alliance) and The University of Queensland has indicated, in not so many words, that a giant tsunami is coming and will need to be cleaned up at some point.<\/p>\n

“The sheer number of PV panels that are likely to be needed to achieve this (Australia’s 2050 Net Zero emissions) target is massive. According to some scenarios, an additional 1,900 GW of solar [capacity] is required. If we assume 700W might be the average panel size in the future, that equates to over 2,700,000,000 PV panels<\/strong> needing to be manufactured and installed to achieve an additional 1,900 GW of solar [capacity]”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Back up. Let’s put that into perspective.<\/p>\n

My calculation starts with CPVA’s predicted requirement of 1,900 GW of solar panel capacity. I think it’s way too high, but let’s run with it. This is divided by the power output of a single 700 Watt solar panel, resulting in 2,714,285,714 panels. These panels are then divided among the population of Australia (27 million people), which results in 100 panels per person. Over a pessimistic 20-year solar panel lifespan, this equates to 5 panels per person per year. Given that each panel weighs 35kg, this results in 175kg<\/strong> of potential solar panel waste per person per year.<\/p>\n

For comparison – according to figures published by the ABS, Australia generated 76 million tonnes of waste in the financial year 2018\/19, or 2.8 tonnes (2,800 kg<\/strong>) per person annually. In addition, our greenhouse gas emissions1<\/a><\/sup> were 18.5 tonnes (18,500 kg<\/strong>) per person of CO2 equivalent.<\/p>\n

2,800 kg<\/strong> of actual waste per person annually, and 18,500 kg<\/strong> CO2 equivalent emissions per person annually.<\/p>\n

So, 175 kg<\/strong> of potential solar panel waste compared to 21,300 kg<\/strong> of actual real-world measured waste per person per year in Australia right now.<\/p>\n

Tsunami? More like a ripple.<\/p>\n

That’s not to say minimizing the waste stream from renewables isn’t important. It’s very important, but let’s keep everything in perspective.<\/p>\n

Talking about perspective, my back-of-a-napkin figure of 175 kg is wildly out of step with other previous estimates from credible sources. For example, Macquarie University reported that in 2018, the potential PV waste flow generated between 2031 and 2047 in Australia is predicted to reach around 1 million tonnes. That’s 2.3 kg<\/strong> per person per year (1,000,000,000 kg\/ 16 years\/ 27,000,000 people.)<\/p>\n

A more recent, peer-reviewed report by the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering UNSW concluded that the volume of annual PV waste in Australia will reach 20 kilotonnes by 2031. That equates to 0.74 kg<\/strong> per person annually (20,000,000 kg\/ 27 million people.)<\/p>\n

That tsunami is shrinking exponentially by the minute. We’re down to a trickle.<\/p>\n

\"Annual

Annual kilograms of waste per person in Australia. (1) 0.74 kg annual potential PV waste by 2031 – School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering UNSW, (2) 2.3 kg annual potential PV waste between 2031 and 2047 – Macquarie University, (3) 175 kg annual potential waste from PV panels needed to meet 2050 net zero targets – CPVA\/ Qld University, (4) 2,800 kg annual actual measured waste in 2018\/2019 – ABS, (5) 18,500 kg annual actual measured greenhouse gas emissions 2020 – National Greenhouse Gas Inventory<\/p><\/div>\n

As you CAN’T<\/em> see in the graph above, the projected PV waste is completely dwarfed by actual measured existing waste Australians produce.<\/p>\n

Appropriate disposal for end-of-life solar panels is important, but to suggest we will be surrounded by wastelands with mountains of used solar panels is a wild exaggeration.<\/p>\n

\n

Are solar panels an eco-disaster waiting to happen? https:\/\/t.co\/9xDS9WoAdz<\/a><\/p>\n

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n