Recycling solar panels means saving space in landfills, limiting potential pollution of soils and groundwater, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the recovery of valuable natural resources.
The short answer is yes, solar panels can be recycled. About 80% of a solar panel's weight is glass and aluminum, two highly recyclable materials. However, recycling solar panels isn't as easy as it sounds. It can be difficult to separate all the different materials for proper recycling because of how solar panels are sealed and constructed.
Solar panel recycling is still at an early stage, but as the renewable energy market continues to expand, recycling processes will play an increasingly important role. As panels end their usable lifetime, panel waste will pile up. There are three broad types of solar panel recycling: re-use, mechanical, and chemical/thermal.
There are three main ways to recycle solar panels: re-use, mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and all likely will still have a place in the solar recycling industry as it grows.
By recycling solar panels, we can keep harmful materials out of landfills and the environment. Besides environmental protection, recycling solar panels will be economically impactful as well. Some rare elements in photovoltaic (PV) cells, like gallium and indium, are being depleted from the environment over time.
What happens if you don't recycle solar panels?
Heavy metals in solar cells, like cadmium and lead, can become hazardous waste if not recycled or disposed of properly. Additionally, solar panels that are carelessly thrown away can end up in large landfills (as most of them do currently due to the solar panel recycling process' infancy).
How much does it cost to recycle solar panels?
Separating those materials and uniquely recycling them is a complex and expensive process. Additionally, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that recycling costs $15 to $45 per module, whereas landfilling costs $1 to $5 per module. With these significantly higher recycling costs, most PV panels end up in landfills today.