Recycling techniques currently in practice does’t favor the recycling of Solar Panels because of the salvaged panels could not able to return the cost of transportation and recycling.
But according to the recent analysis by research firm Rystad Energy. Rystad expects the value of recyclable materials from solar panels to grow exponentially over the next several years, ballooning to $2.7 billion in 2030 from just $170 million this year. Technological advancements are also making it easier to extract more valuable materials from old panels, making recycling a sweeter deal financially.
In the coming years, recyclers will hopefully be able to mine billions of dollars worth of materials from discarded solar panels, according to a new analysis published this week. That should ease bottlenecks in the supply chain for solar panels while also making the panels themselves more sustainable.
Currently, solar energy makes up just over 3 percent of the global electricity mix. But the world’s energy systems are at the start of a drastic makeover to bring more renewable energy. To hit that goal, solar could account for upwards of 40 percent of the global power supply. It also helps that solar panels have grown super affordable, becoming a cheaper source of electricity than coal or gas in most of the world.
In the future, more of the materials used to make new solar panels are likely to come from re-hashed panels. Recovered silver, polysilicon, copper, and aluminum can fetch the most cash on the recycling market, according to Rystad. Unfortunately, today, silver and solar-grade silicon usually isn’t separated out with today’s recycling methods. It’s often shredded along with the rest of the panel and sold as crushed glass. More sophisticated, recycling will salvage the most valuable stuff inside photovoltaic panels.
Solar started to take off in the 2000s, and with a lifespan of around 25 years — we’re just now approaching the first big wave of discarded solar panels. If it’s treated properly, that trash could become treasure.