As the renewable energy industry has grown, so have concerns about its potential negative impact. From the mining of rare and potentially dangerous minerals to the amount of land being used, renewables are not free from criticism. In the case of solar panels, questions have been raised about what happens to the substantial amount of waste a solar park can produce.
What waste is produced by solar panels?
Solar panels have a lifespan of between 25 and 30 years, but they degrade over time. This not only includes the glass and aluminium that make up the basic structure, but also power inverters and pieces of wiring. Rare and precious elements can also be found in smaller amounts. This is becoming a particular concern because there are so many more solar panels than there were just a few years ago, and because the first generation of solar panels are coming to the end of their natural life.
If you install solar panels Gloucester as part of trying to make your home or business more sustainable, you may only need a few panels. For larger solar parks, the amount of waste is much higher. Even the most basic solar panels Gloucester can be damaged in transit, or due to severe weather conditions, which again increases waste.
How do you dispose of solar panel waste?
Sometimes operators hire private contractors to dispose of solar panel waste, but there is a lack of infrastructure to dispose of solar panels effectively. It was only in 2023 that France opened its first specialist disposal facility to recycle many of the components, even the hard-to-extract precious elements. Some of these can be used to produce new solar panels, but as the glass is generally low quality, it can only be used in cruder processes such as sandblasting or manufacturing asphalt.
There is no doubt that solar panels produce waste. The benefits of solar panels may outweigh the costs, but it is important for developers and operators to consider their waste disposal methods to ensure they do not contribute to polluting the environment.