Recycling Solar Panels | A Sustainable Approach

31 October 2023 by CSG

Solar panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home or business. As both the energy crisis and climate change effects worsen, there’s never been a better time to invest in solar power. But what happens to solar panel waste when they begin to work inefficiently? And how do you go about recycling solar panels?

The industry standard lifespan for most solar panels is 25 to 30 years. This means that solar panels that were installed from the 2000s onwards are beginning to reach the end of their life. There are around 25 million solar panels in the UK and as many as 2.5 billion globally. Therefore, CSG wants to let you know how waste solar panels can be handled in the most environmentally friendly fashion.

How do they work?

A PV solar panel consists of many solar cells made of layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When silicon-based solar panels are exposed to photons of sunlight (very small packets of energy) it releases electrons and produces an electric charge.

The cells don’t need direct sunlight and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more solar energy can be harvested, and the more electricity will be generated.

Typically, you don’t need planning permission to install solar panels. However, exceptions do apply and it’s best to check with your local planning office for guidance. If you live in a listed building, conservation area or national park, additional restrictions may apply.

Why do they need to be disposed of?

The average break-even point for solar panel energy savings occurs six to ten years after installation. The panels will usually continue to produce electricity at a high level for another 15 years after that. So, you can end up saving thousands of pounds during the panels’ lifespan.

The longer your panels generate electricity, the more money you will save. The good news is that most solar panels should operate for 20 years before reduced energy production is noticeable.

Even after that point, solar panels can continue to convert sunlight into electricity. It is just at a less efficient rate than when they were new. However, the degradation rate may be significant enough that you should replace the panels entirely.

Why recycle your solar panels?

PV panels are defined as e-waste in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. Although this is an EU directive, the UK currently adheres to it. This makes it effectively illegal to dispose of solar panels in landfills.

Solar panels contain environmentally toxic metals such as lead, selenium or the carcinogenic cadmium. If they are not carefully disposed of, they can create environmental hazards.

Some solar panels contain more hazardous materials than others depending on the type.

If solar panels are not disposed of correctly then these raw materials can seep into the ground. This contaminates both the soil and possibly even drinking water.

At the moment, the number of redundant solar panels is only on a small scale. However, according to Professor Chris Sansom at the University of Derby, by 2050 we could have 300 million tonnes of scrap panels globally.

How solar panels are recycled safely

An example of an end-of-life recycling process is as follows:

• PV Solar panels are stripped of their aluminium frame edges and the cable block is removed.
• Panel components are shredded into large pieces before being crushed by a hammer mill into pieces typically between 6mm and 10mm. This is to break the laminated surface bond.
• The semiconductor films are removed. Chemicals are added to the glass to achieve an optimal solid-liquid ratio. During this process, film is stripped from the glass.
• All the fragmented glass is separated out from the liquid.
• The remaining material is then moved to separate the glass from the larger laminated pieces. The pieces are then moved into another conveyor and collected. The glass is then separated and the corrosive liquids are washed off.
• After being washed, the glass is moved into containers for recycling and the water is processed further to recovery precious metals.
• When the solids have settled and have formed into a dense solid mixture, it is sent off for processing into raw materials for use in new solar panels.

If you are interested to find out more, check out the video below by PV cycle to see the recycling process in action!

How CSG can help your business

We can help our customers find the most environmentally friendly route for their waste solar panels, especially in large quantities.

We spoke to Greg Smith, our Technical Manager who said: ‘CSG have specially trained technical assessors who are experienced in a multitude of hazardous and non-hazardous waste types.

There are not many companies providing a recycling service, but it is a waste stream that is coming and there will be a lot of solar panels needing to be replaced, particularly those from large solar farms.

We believe by carrying out silicon-based solar panel recycling, we can recover around 96% of materials. There is no reason panels should end up in a landfill if your solar panels start to work inefficiently.’

Do you have a large amount of waste solar panels? Do you want to ensure they don’t end up in landfill? Give us a call on 0800 011 6600 or you can enquire online by clicking here to see how CSG can help with your waste management.