Vijay Garg
The current solar panels being adopted to overcome power shortages are designed to last for twenty-five to thirty years, but due to weather conditions, accidents or other reasons, they may fail even before the expected time.
Bad solar panels become the cause of environmental pollution as soon as they stop working. After plastic, vehicles, factories and e-waste, solar panels are considered to play an important role in polluting the environment. It is noteworthy that solar panels contain silicon, glass, aluminium, mixture of lead, copper and cadmium, which is not easily recycled. Therefore, from now on, there is a need for intensive research and increased understanding on this.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, due to the production and installation of solar panels in large quantities, there will be a significant increase in the waste generated by it by 2030, which is expected to cause environmental problems. Therefore, there is a need to make such panels which can last for a long time i.e. the process of waste generation is extremely slow.
According to a research, the amount of waste is expected to be six hundred kilotons by 2030. This quantity will increase thirty-two times by 2050, due to which approximately nineteen thousand kilo tonnes of cumulative waste will be generated. This share will increase to 74 percent by 2040, as existing solar panels reach the end of their life. Similarly, 77 percent of the cumulative waste generated by 2050 will be due to new capacities.
According to the study conducted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the independent research institute Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), this is Olympic-sized water. According to the research report, 67 percent of the waste will be generated from five states Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. By 2030, Rajasthan’s share in the waste generated will be 24 percent, Gujarat’s 16 percent and Karnataka’s 12 percent.
The study titled ‘Enabling a Circular Economy in India’s Solar Industry: Estimating Solar Waste Volume’ states that the current installed capacity of 66.7 GW in India is already generating 100 kilo tonnes of waste, which is expected to increase by 2030.Rs will be 340 kilo tonnes. It will contain approximately ten kilo tons of silicon, 12 to 18 kilo tons of silver and 16 tons of cadmium and tellurium. Recycling solar waste to recover these elements will reduce import dependence and increase India’s mineral security. The remaining 260 kg of waste will be generated from new capacities to be installed between 2024 and 2030, the research found.
According to the study, solar waste will increase to 19,000 kilotonnes by 2050, of which 77 percent will be generated from new capacities. CEEW has said that there is an opportunity for the industry to ensure a circular economy leading and dynamic solar supply chain. Scientists are estimating the potential for 78 million tons of solar photovoltaic waste to be generated over twenty-five years, which could be reused or recycled by 2050, however, this will be a major challenge, as comprehensive recycling of solar panels is still not implemented globally. The reason for this is the lack of proper infrastructure and national regulations in the world markets. Obviously, solar waste in future will play a major role in increasing environmental pollution. To overcome the power problem, solar panels are being installed in large quantities all over the world including India. Therefore, it is important to think now about disposing of solar panel waste.
The proper management, recycling and disposal of solar systems is guided by government policies and laws in many countries around the world. The United States, the European Union, Japan, and Australia have private or mandatory programs for solar panel recycling. In India also there is a need to make better policies and rules and implement them.
It is noteworthy that India plans to achieve approximately 292 GW of solar capacity by 2030, with solar PV waste management being important for environmental, economic and social reasons. The development of eco-friendly waste management has led to the expansion of EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) programs, which hold producers responsible for the management of their end-of-life products. According to scientists, developing a safe solar system, the problems arising from it can be reduced. It is also important for the person installing solar panels to know the age of his solar panel and the quality of the elements used in it. How and where should they be disposed of when they get damaged. It is important to know what is the better solution for solar waste disposal.
There is a need to pay attention to better maintenance. This increases the lifespan of solar panels. There should be continuous research and development on easily recycled solar panels along with solar system waste management. Only modern and durable models of solar panels should be allowed to be sold in the market. Two better methods of solar panels can be adopted. This involves traditional bulk material recycling, which involves crushing, sifting and shredding the waste. But if the panel is made of a mixture of glass, copper, aluminium, silver and silicon, it cannot be recycled in this manner. Another way is high value recycling, thermal, chemical and mechanical methods are adopted in this. This method is better in every way, in this, silver and silicon can also be recycled through chemical method.
Solar panels have been adopted as a better alternative to electricity in running government and non-government enterprises in India. This is reducing the expenditure on electricity. Both common and special are getting convenience at the domestic level, but until the disposal of panel waste is ensured easily, without impacting the environment, it will be used as if it is safe. It cannot be said that doing this is good. Therefore, the government should run a public awareness campaign to use the best design of solar panels. The solar panels installed on houses under government schemes should also be better from the environmental point of view.
