ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
Zero Landfill Recycling Now Available for Aging Solar Panels
By Chris Tomicki Business Development Manager Commercial Solar Panel Recycling
New Jersey has a long history of “ firsts ” and that honor includes solar technology . In fact , the first viable silicon solar cell was introduced to the world way back in 1954 at Bell Labs in Murray Hill , New Jersey .
Today , the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ( NJDEP ) reports that , even with our small geography and high population density , New Jersey is ranked eighth in the United States for total installed solar photovoltaic ( PV ) capacity , behind California , Texas , Florida , North Carolina , Arizona , Nevada , and Georgia .
With over 176,000 installations in our state ( almost 50 % non-residential ), the total capacity of New Jersey ’ s photovoltaic ( PV ) systems is topping 4,387MW – enough to power more than half a million households . With 416 in-state solar companies , solar is also a large employer . According to the NJDEP , solar power produces 6.64 % of the state ’ s total energy . The Garden State is very green indeed . Unfortunately , there is also some not-so-green news : With 1 GW of installed solar in New Jersey , there ’ s no real plan or process for the disposition of less productive , damaged , and unusable PV panels .
Solar panel lifecycle ( and why it ’ s important )
With US solar installations really kicking into gear in 2010 ( 55 years after that momentous introduction at Bell Labs ), solar incentives and interest have led to massive , non-stop adoption across the US . According to the Solar Energy Industries Association ( SEIA ), as installations have increased , manufacturing efficiencies have also improved . Technological advances have resulted in increased overall panel efficiency . As a result , solar panels deployed today are superior and cheaper than those produced a decade ago . In the 2023 Solar Panel Industry Research Report published by the SEIA , the association reveals that costs have fallen by 70 % since 2010 , making both rooftop and utility-scale solar generation competitive with other forms of electricity generation .
In a report from EnergySage , a solar research and marketing firm , entitled “ How Solar Panel Cost and Efficiency Have Changed Over Time ,” the company notes that “ What started at 6 % panel efficiency is now commercially available and cost-effective at 23 % efficiency .” The article also suggests that the power productivity of panels hasn ’ t topped out yet . “ Laboratory prototypes have reached 47 % efficiency but are not ( yet ) available as a marketable product ,” the company suggests .
Improving technology and lower costs are resulting in shorter ROI realization . As a result , innovation and market forces are pushing older , still functional solar panels into an out-of-service status ; prematurely obsolete .
Here ’ s the math : Early solar adopters from 2010 who installed solar panels with 15 % efficiency are experiencing an annual 1-2 % efficiency degradation . As a result , these older solar panels produce less energy . At the same time , newer technology panels produce 10 % more energy and are much lower in cost .
Any cost analysis must also factor in New Jersey ’ s higher power costs — about 33 % higher than the rest of the country , according to the Energy Information Administration — as well as available solar incentives from state and federal governments .
Without pulling out a calculator , it ’ s easy to see why older commercial PV systems are targets for upgrades to new , improved systems that will yield a quick ROI and ongoing long-term cost savings .
However , what happens to the older panels when they are removed for an upgrade , a reroof , or a change in ownership ? And what about panels that are damaged in transit , during installation , or in disasters like floods , hurricanes , and fires ?
Tons of solar waste ( is a waste )
Until recently , the disposition of solar panels has been a “ tomorrow ” problem . With long warranties and lifecycles , planning for the bubble of solar technology e-waste has not been top of mind .
According to data from the MIT Technical Review , the United States is estimated to have one million tons of waste from decommissioned solar modules by 2030 , while global estimates are expected to be 8 times greater . After that , the totals skyrocket as PV systems age out and are replaced with newer , more productive technology .
In fact , it ’ s already creating a big problem and a green industry oxymoron . The National Renewable Energy Laboratory ( NREL ) estimates that 90 percent of retired solar panels are dumped in landfills . Why ? Consider the following :
1 . There are no federal regulations preventing solar panels from going to landfills ( despite hazardous leaching risks )
2 . Due to recycling facility scarcity and capacity , dumping panels in a landfill is significantly cheaper ( dollars per panel ) than responsible recycling ($ 15- 20 per panel )
3 . Disposition laws for residential and commercial installations differ from state to state
4 . Transport of used or damaged solar panels in some states is considered hazardous waste
5 . There ’ s no built-in cost for recycling or disposition in the purchase price .
If CRT tubes are a parable we might learn from , solar panels , especially those in large quantities , that are dumped today may be traced back to their owners with consequences as light as reputation damage and as significant as fines . When retired PV panels cannot be reused as a second life , recycling ( even without regulatory muscle ) is the only ethical , circular economy alternative .
Zero landfill solar panel recycling solutions
Typical recycling plants are not designed for recycling solar panels . Processing options for de-framing , ( removing aluminum sides ), separating the glass from the back panels , and separation / purification of the silicon cells and specialty metals are very specific to the age , size , and technology of the panel .
A PV System recycling overview from the EPA states , “ Many of these components can be recycled . Glass composes most of the weight of a solar panel ( about 75 percent ), and glass recycling is already a well-established industry . Other materials that are easily recyclable include the aluminum frame , copper wire , and plastic junction box .”
Silver , tin , tellurium and antimony are also contained within the solar cells as are very small levels of toxic metals like lead , arsenic and cadmium .
As there are currently no federal regulations dictating how to process end-of-life PV systems , they fall under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ( RCRA ) guidelines which dictate what must be done with hazardous or nonhazardous solid wastes depending upon their chemical status at the time of generation , depending on the state , may be classified as hazardous waste . Only Minnesota and California have passed solar panel-specific recycling regulations .
Zero landfill solar panel recycling combines panel identification knowledge , packing and logistics , specialized machinery processing for separation , shredding and grinding and then downstream R2-certified recycling .
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