Solar energy waste must be tackled with recycle, reuse and regenerate

India is among the top five countries producing solar photovoltaic (PV) power and will continue to further improve its position in the future. The government has already set its sights to produce 350 GW of solar power. Until June 2020, the country achieved close to 35 GW. Owing to the sub-standard quality of components being used at several places, the country is likely to witness a faster rate of early loss of PV modules. By 2030, close to 3,00,000 tons and by 2050, nearly 7,500,000 tons of solar waste is likely to pile up.

Currently, there are no laws that mandate safe disposal of solar energy waste unlike WEEE in Europe and it needs to be accorded priority to ensure no land filling. A not-for-profit organisation can formulate a roadmap to pave the way for a safe end of life management using low-cost recycling equipment and ensure they are used for re-powering. About 240,000 MW of new panels can be re-produced without extracting new materials. It will result in the overall CO2 abatement of 360 billion tons in their lifetime. Jaideep N Malaviya is an expert on solar energy waste management. He spoke to TOI about the pros and cons concerning the issue.

Excerpts…

Q. Why do solar panels need recycling?

A. India has set an ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable, largely using solar energy. All solar energy systems must be subject to the extended producer responsibility (EPR)