We know that energy from solar technology is a crucial part of the mix for a clean energy future. Electrifying homes, powered by cheap, clean rooftop solar is saving consumers thousands on power bills, permanently. Reducing household emissions and energy bills - a win win!
However, discarded solar panels often end up in landfill, creating environmental problems and wasting valuable resources. This is one of the arguments that opponents of renewable energy, the Gas and Coal industry and the governments who still support them, frequently use. What can be done with solar panels when they reach the end of their life span (av 25 years for the panels) is a question that needs to be addressed.
Fortunately, there are solar panel recycling companies starting to spring up around the world. This is music to the ears of clean energy supporters.
Up until quite recently we have been told that only 17% of solar panels are recyclable. And this fact has been somewhat of a stumbling point when arguing the benefits of solar with renewable energy naysayers.They love to focus on the amount of emissions potentially caused by the solar panels that end up in landfill as a roadblock in discussions about renewables.
Enter companies like PV Circonomy in California, who are now able to recover 99.3% of the materials that make up solar panels, reducing waste and allowing for the reuse of valuable resources. PV Circonomy upcycles and repurposes all recovered materials, achieving zero waste. Among products that are made from the recovered materials from solar panels are: glass to be used in cement and the first post-consumer recycled EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) which is widely used in sneakers!
In Queensland, Australia newly established, Pan Pacific solar panel recycling plant, is expected to take apart 240,000 panels a year.The plant is capable of dismantling panels back to their core materials. Instead of tonnes of aluminium, silver, copper glass and plastics being discarded it can all be repurposed.
Glass that makes up about 80 per cent of the weight of a panel is smashed off, then ground up and recycled. The precious and semi-precious metals and raw minerals are then removed from the underlying panel. It apparently only takes about 50 seconds to remove the glass and 30 seconds to remove the other materials!
Companies like Pan Pacific are not only stopping products ending up in landfill but contributing to a circular economy and helping to plug a raw materials shortage gap that we are going to face in the future.
At 1 Million Women we believe that installing rooftop solar and replacing gas with energy efficient electric home appliances is the answer to home energy security. Enabling households to reduce emissions and take control of future energy costs. On average, homes with rooftop solar and energy efficient electric appliances pay AUD2000-AUD3000 less per year in energy bills.
And that is why we have come up with our 'policy ask' to the Australian government: to "electrify 1 million more homes over the next 3 years". We are asking the government to support Australian households, through rebates and zero interest loans, to make key home electrification and energy efficiency upgrades.
These upgrades include rooftop solar and batteries, replacing gas cooktops with safer and cheaper electric induction cooktops, replacing gas heating with reverse cycle air conditioning and gas hot water with electric heat pumps. You can read about and sign our policy ask here.
If you know of any solar panel recycling that is happening in your region, please let us know in the comments.
Header image from Unsplash
