Unlike many consumer electronics, solar panels have a long lifespan that extends 20 to 30 years. In fact, many panels are still in place and producing from decades ago. Because of their longevity, solar panel recycling is a relatively new concept, leading some to wrongly assume that end-of-life panels will all end up in the landfill.
Although in its early stages, solar panel recycling technology is well underway. With the exponential growth of solar power, recycling should be scaled up quickly. The solar industry is booming, with tens of millions of solar panels installed on more than three million homes across the United States. And with the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, solar adoption is expected to see accelerated growth over the next decade, presenting a massive opportunity for the industry to become even more sustainable.
In the past, without the proper technology and infrastructure in place, the aluminium frames and glass from solar panels were removed and sold for a small profit while their high-value materials, like silicon, silver and copper, have largely been too difficult to extract. This is no longer […]
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