Solar PV waste management

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Concept :

There has in the last few years been a concerted push from policymakers in India to transition to a circular economy and to, among other things, enable effective waste management.
But waste management in the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector still lacks clear directives.

Status of Solar PV in India

Globally, India has the world’s fourth-highest solar PV deployment.
The installed solar capacity was nearly 62GW in November 2022.
India is expected to become one of the top five leading photovoltaic waste producers worldwide by 2050.

Status of PV waste in India

According to a 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, India could generate 50,000-3,25,000 tonnes of PV waste by 2030 and more than four million tonnes by 2050.

Solar PV Technology in India

India’s solar PV installations are dominated by crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology.
A typical PV panel is made of c-Si modules (93%) and cadmium telluride thin-film modules (7%).
A c-Si module mainly consists of a glass sheet, an aluminum frame, an encapsulant, a backsheet, copper wires, and silicon wafers. Silver, tin, and lead are used to make c-Si modules.
The thin-film module is made of glass, encapsulant, and compound semiconductors.

Recycling of PV waste in India

According to e-waste guidelines: As these photovoltaic panels reach their end of lives, some portions of the frame are extracted and sold as scrap;junctions and cables are recycled.
According to a 2021 report, approximately 50% of total materials can be recovered through such waste management and recycling processes.
India’s challenge is the growing informal handling of photovoltaic waste. Only about 20% of the waste is recovered in general; the rest is treated informally.
The waste often accumulates at landfills. Landfill disposal in turn causes acidification, leaching of toxic metals (such as lead and cadmium) into the soil, and contaminates the local water.
Gradual incineration of the panel encapsulant also releases Sulphur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen cyanide into the atmosphere.

Global action against solar waste:

Many Western and Asian economies have well-established regulatory guidelines for photovoltaic waste management and are actively investing in building awareness on effective waste management practices.
For example, the European Union’s ‘Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive’ makes producers responsible for safely and responsibly disposing of end-of-life photovoltaic panels.
In the US, states have the freedom to establish their own solar photovoltaic regulatory standards. Its National Renewable Energy Laboratory is also exploring ways to boost the circular economy in the solar photovoltaic sector.
China has introduced an implementation plan for life-cycle management and to improve the resource efficiency of solar photovoltaic panels.