【Edition #21】Solar Panel Recycle Challenges in Australia

Solar panel recycling is a global challenge, not just a concern for Japan, as the number of end-of-life panels is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. Australia also faces a significant challenge in managing end-of-life solar panels. ?

Currently, rooftop solar is the second largest source of renewable electricity generation in Australia behind wind energy generation, and the fourth largest source of electricity generation, providing approximately 11.2 % of the country’s power supply.

In contrast, only 17% of solar panel components, primarily the aluminium frame and junction box, are being recycled (as of 2023). The remaining 83%, which includes materials like glass, silicon, and polymer back sheeting, are not being recycled within the country and are often treated as waste.

The Solar Panel Recycling Process

The solar panel recycling process involves multiple steps:

1. Collection & Transportation: End-of-life solar panels are collected and transported to recycling facilities.?

2. Disassembly: The panels are disassembled to remove the metal frames and glass layers.?

3. Material Separation: The remaining materials, such as silicon, copper, and silver, are separated.?

4. Processing & Purification: These materials are processed and purified for reuse.?

5. Reuse & Repurposing: Recovered materials are reused in new solar panels or other products.?

The recycling process?recovers several valuable materials from solar panels. These include glass, aluminium, and silicon. Glass and aluminium can be recycled with high efficiency.?? However, not all materials are not recovered because the recycling technologies are not always efficient and cost-effective.? Quality of recovered materials may be low.

Challenges to the Solar Panel Recycle

1.??? Cost Problem

The high cost of recycling compared to landfill disposal discourages efforts to establish sustainable recycling systems. Recycling a single solar panel costs approximately $28, significantly higher than the $4.50 required for landfill disposal. This financial imbalance discourages recycling efforts.

On the other hand, the outlook for solar PV recycling is promising as economic factors and policy settings are beginning to align. Federal and State governments have opened a series of grant funding programs and regulatory schemes to develop a sustainable recycling industry in Australia that achieves both commercial and environmental objectives.

2.??? Regulatory Differences

?There is currently no national scheme or program for the collection, recycling, or re-use of decommissioned PV systems in Australia.?

Regulatory approaches vary across states. Victoria has implemented a ban on disposing of solar panels in landfills, while South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have similar prohibitions. In contrast, Queensland has not yet enacted such measures.

3.??? Technical issues

Innovative recycling initiatives are emerging to address the growing volume of solar panel waste.

• Pan Pacific Recycling ：A Queensland-first solar panel recycling plant began operation Oct, 2024. It processes approximately 30,000 panels annually, extracting valuable materials like silver and copper. The company aims to scale up to 240,000 panels per year. However, with over 1.2 million panels already discarded in Queensland alone, capacity remains a significant challenge.
• Reclaim PV Recycling:?This company has established Australia’s first large-scale solar panel recycling plant in Lonsdale, South Australia. They use a process involving pyrolysis to separate and recover materials from solar panels.
• PV Solar Stewardship Pilot:?Launched by the Smart Energy Council in partnership with the Queensland Government, this pilot program aims to explore the feasibility of collecting, reusing, and recycling solar panels from households and solar farms.The program operates in various locations, including Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Goldd Coast.
• Lotus Energy: Operating a facility in Melbourne, Lotus Energy claims to recycle 100% of end-of-life solar PV modules.
• Elecsome: Australia's first solar panel upcycling plant, capable of handling 1 million panels per annum.?They transform end-of-life solar panels into higher-value products, such as high-grade concrete and PV/battery-grade silicon. Elecsome’s approach prioritises upcycling and sustainability, using patented technology to efficiently recover and transform solar panel components.

Conclusion

Experts advocate for a national stewardship scheme to mandate recycling and reuse, emphasizing that proper management could contribute substantially to Australia's renewable energy goals. As the volume of end-of-life solar panels is expected to exceed 1,000 kilotonnes by 2050, developing effective recycling systems is becoming increasingly urgent.

Moreover, the industry also has a part to play. Manufacturers can design solar panels to be more easily recyclable and?take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products. This concept, known as?Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), is becoming increasingly important. It ensures that manufacturers consider the entire lifecycle of their products, including disposal and recycling.??Collaboration between the government and the industry is crucial.?A collaborative effort between government and industry is essential to build a sustainable and scalable solar panel recycling industry in Australia.