With over 3.3 million homes in Australia having rooftop solar panels, the country is leading the world in its uptake of rooftop on grid solar system. However, as the oldest panels are now approaching their end-of-life, experts are anticipating large volumes of decommissioned panels within the next decade.
A team of researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has assessed the potential impact of this waste on the environment. According to their "conservative" forecasts, cumulative photovoltaic (PV) waste in Australia could reach 2 million to 3 million tons by 2050.
Under more ambitious installation projections, the amount of waste could be double that amount. The researchers are calling for the development of a national recycling scheme to manage this waste and minimize its environmental impact.
As Australia continues to lead the world in solar uptake, the country will need to address the issue of decommissioned panels to ensure that the benefits of solar energy do not come at the cost of environmental harm.
But rather than looming as a waste mountain, the team from the UNSW's School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering said end-of-life solar panels are a source of valuable materials such as silver, copper, and high purity silicon, glass, and aluminium which can be utilised in the manufacturing of new modules.
The team said exploring the reuse potential of secondary materials in the manufacturing of new modules will have significant benefits on material supply security within the industry.
The paper shows that, when all scenarios and lifetime variations are considered, end-of-life panels could in just five years supply more than 30% of aluminium and silver PV demand.
