In its whitepaper "Toward a Just and Sustainable Solar Energy Coalition" the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) argues that for solar to be truly green, industry must reduce and eventually eliminate the use of toxic materials and develop environmentally sustainable practices.
Solar panels generally have a life span of 20-25 years, so most of them have not yet reached the end of their useful life. However, factory scrap, broken panels from transportation and field failures already provide recycling materials. While some manufacturing companies (Solar World, First Solar et.c.) are doing their own recycling, there are also some independent third party companies that undertake recycling tasks. Moreover, manufacturers and distributors have formed organizations for photovoltaic recycling, such as the PV CYCLE in Europe. In any case, all the necessary precautions should be taken due to the fact that some materials contained in the solar panels (silicon tetrachloride, cadmium, et.c.) are considered dangerous to the environment.
ReplyDeleteSome of the early solar pv modules such as those installed by Sharp in the 70's are still going strong... so hopefully we'll find that as manufacturing technology & materials have improved - we get more like 50 yrs of use, perhaps even more. Some modules now have 30 year power output warranties.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input. GlobalData did a report about two years ago on recycling of solar panels. It's expensive but may be worth it or affordable to someone in the industry: http://store.globaldata.com/market-reports/alternative-energy/Solar-Module-Recycling-A-Necessary-Step-to-Maximize-Environmental-Benefits-of-Solar-PV-Industry?companyId=prlog
ReplyDeleteBest wishes.