The International Renewable Energy Agency points out that the world could be saddled with 78 million tonnes of solar panel waste by 2050, according to an Eco-Business report.
The report looks at how solar needs to go circular and keep design for recyclability in mind. Solar panels aren’t easy to recycle because photovoltaic modules are a medley of components such as stabilizing aluminum framing, power-transmitting wires, protective glass sheets and polymeric membranes, as well as electricity-generating silicon wafers and other metals. Therefore, recycling involves mechanical, thermal and chemical processes, making it tedious and expensive, the report notes.
