The amount of waste generated by ageing solar panels is climbing rapidly due to rising adoption of renewables, but researchers believe a proper recycling system could deliver almost $1 trillion in economic benefits globally.
As solar panels have a limited lifespan, the number of units that need replacing is increasing as the sector expands. According to a team at Adelaide University, up to 402 million tonnes of discarded solar panels are projected to accumulate globally by 2060.
Solar panels contain valuable materials including silicon, silver, copper and tellurium, as well as metals such as lead and cadmium that can pose environmental risks if panels are improperly disposed of.
The researchers developed an integrated model examining 1,708 different recycling scenarios across 32 global regions, taking into account recycling technologies, material prices, international trade and subsidy policies.
They found that combining region-specific recycling technologies with outsourced recycling could...