Some Solutions To Solar Panel Recycling In Australia

Are you scratching your head over what to do with old solar panels?  After dissecting solar panel recycling’s tricky challenges yesterday, today I’m plunging headfirst into solutions.

First up, I’m bringing in Megan Jones from Circular PV Alliance (CPVA) – who made an appearance in Part One of this series. She dropped some serious knowledge at the recent Smart Energy Conference about decommissioned solar panels that still have a lot of life in them. I’ll also reveal a literal silver lining to this challenge: the untapped potential of silver in our old solar panels.

Because I know you want real, actionable solutions, I’ve compiled a go-to guide on where you can recycle your solar panels across Australia today. From grassroots initiatives to large-scale recycling operations and even innovative upcycling projects, I’ve got it all covered.

So, stick with me as we explore a future where no solar panel goes to waste, and each one gets a new lease on life or, at the very least, a responsible farewell.

Reuse Or Recycle?

Megan Jones, the co-founder of CPVA, is an expert in circular economy and a big fan of using the waste hierarchy, which prioritises “reuse” over “recycling”.

Decommissioned panels are still working

“At CPVA, we asked the question, can decommissioned solar panels be reused? And the short answer is yes. We ran a micro pilot project with PVLab in Canberra. We did a four-stage testing process and the results even surprised us.”

“We found that the panels were around ten years old, but all of them were still operating at about 96% of their nameplate power output. All of them passed a wet leakage safety test and microcracking wasn’t an issue. So why are they being thrown out? At the very least, shouldn’t they be recycled?”

“The overwhelming consensus from everyone we interviewed was that there is concern that panels are being decommissioned very early into their lifespan and whilst they’re still fully functional.”

Collaborating with the University of Queensland, the CPVA explored end-of-life use markets for reclaimed PV panels. They found a market ripe with potential.

The Value Of Silver

Also at the Smart Energy conference was Darren Johanneson, the head of circular economy strategy at the Active Group. Johanneson pointed out that although silver makes up less than half a percent of a solar module’s mass, it represents about 55% to 65% of the material value. If harnessed correctly, this waste stream could be worth approximately $600 million over the next decade.

Peak silver

“To put that into some context, peak silver production is expected to peak in the mid-2030s. We’re going to be able to get less and less raw material out of the ground. So economically for this industry to exist into the future, it’s got to start recovering the silver that’s in the solar modules. The value of the silver that’s going to landfill currently in solar modules is roughly about three to $5 million a year. And at scale, it’s worth about $25 million a year just in the silver alone.”

(Another) draft plan and pilot program

Darren’s company, Activ, is currently piloting an industry-led Solar Stewardship Scheme as part of the Draft Queensland E-Products Action Plan 2023-2033. In collaboration with the Queensland government and the Smart Energy Council, they intend to divert end-of-life solar panels from landfill and investigate the recovery of useful materials.

But… do we need a ‘pilot’ program? How about a program? Can’t we just do this thing?

Where can I get my solar panels recycled right now?

Well, that depends on what you mean by “recycled”. Below are some places that take end-of-life solar panels. Most companies on this list are doing the best they can in a challenging environment. I encourage you to start conversations, ask questions about their processes, seek answers, and report back here.

Victoria

EcoActive Pty Ltd

“Ecoactiv is an advocate of clean energy. It is our mission to support the industry in taking back and recycling end-of-life solar panels across Australia. We have refined the solar panel recycling processes and have collection and dismantling centres in all major states, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide.”

Lotus Energy

“Australia’s only solar panel recycling facility where a circular economy is created and 100% of the recovered materials are reused. Whilst many others are trying hard to create a solution, Lotus Energy has already successfully tried and tested a full end-of-life solar panel recycle plant.”

New South Wales

Elecsome

Elecsome claims to be Australia’s first solar panel upcycling plant. While their work is admirable, they use the term “upcycling” very loosely. It’s really “recycling” because they use the crushed glass from solar panels to produce sand, a lesser-grade product.

“Our technology is derived out of a set of patented processes that enable the efficient recovery and transformation of solar panel components into value-added products used in the construction and manufacturing industries.”

PV Industries

“PV Industries is an Australian-owned recycling company aiming to minimize Australia’s environmental footprint. Our goal is to stop solar panel waste from being sent to landfill by collecting and recycling as many end-of-life solar panels as possible and supplying the recovered material to local manufacturers.”

Repurposing for Resilience

This is my favourite. A community-based organization that upcycles and repurposes old solar panels and provides education and training for small businesses, apprentices, and school leavers in the Electrical and Renewable Energy Industry.

“Our purpose is simply to re-use solar panels and associated components where possible and repurpose those we can’t in an effort to keep equipment out of landfill and reduce costs to community and the environment associated with that of heavy industrial materials recycling. Anything more is just a bonus.”

South Australia

Reclaim PV

At the time of writing Reclaim PV website is down. A representative claims they are currently undergoing a ‘restructure’. My advice would be to avoid this company.

Queensland

Resolarcycle

From roof top to reuse, resolarcycle is Australia’s fastest growing solar panel reuse and recycling service. Our company was started to prevent good panels in working condition from ending up in landfill.

Solar Recovery Corporation (SRC)

“Solar Recovery Corporation is committed to diverting all end-of-life solar PV panels from landfill streams and to the recovery of all the materials from decommissioned panels for use in new applications to create new local jobs in new industries and delivering positive outcomes for our environment, sustainability practice and human health.”

Western Australia

WA Solar Recycling

“We aim to prevent solar panels from going to landfill. Being the awesome inventions they are they’re also notoriously difficult to recycle! Bar the aluminium frame they’re pretty much inextricable! We find purposes for all panels which are still of use, mainly we are sending what we can to hard-up countries where a small solar kit can make a house a home! Any panels we receive which cannot be repurposed, we recycle to Australian e-waste Standards.”

Any more?

Are there any other companies and organisations missing that should be included on this list? Maybe you’ve got some ideas on where we can ‘stick our solar panels’? Keep it clean and let me know.

Wrapping It Up

The challenges facing solar panel reuse and recycling in Australia are substantial, but with persistent effort, we are making progress.

Although solar panel recycling and reuse are pressing issues, let’s not lose sight of the big picture. Lowering our emissions is far above recycling solar panels on the list of priorities, even though they are inextricably linked. Let’s hope we can soon start to do a better job of both.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solutions-to-solar-panel-recycling/