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0 pointsghostpepper3y ago0 comments

> Also, solar panels dont seem that difficult to recycle. There's already a decent & growing reclaimation market.

Curious if you're basing this on firsthand knowledge? I know nothing about solar panels but I've read some stories[0][1] lately about difficulties recycling them, particularly older ones that were deployed 10-20 years ago and are now reaching EOL.

[0] https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/solar-panel-was... [1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-01-17/are-some-solar-...

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philipkglass3y ago

First Solar (the largest American solar manufacturer) has provided recycling for the panels they make since 2005:

https://www.firstsolar.com/modules/recycling

https://www.bnl.gov/pv/files/prs_agenda/2_krueger_ieee-prese...

https://www.firstsolar.com/-/media/First-Solar/Sustainabilit...

German company Flaxres recently completed a pilot scale trial for recycling silicon photovoltaic modules from any manufacturer:

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/07/22/industrial-process-fo...

pfdietz3y ago

Since the vast majority of PV modules that have ever been installed are still working there isn't much recycling yet. Most of the mass of a PV panel is mundane things like glass and aluminum (and perhaps steel for ground mountings) that are either eminently recyclable or easily disposable in mass.

ncmncm3y ago

Ultra-pure silicon is intrinsically valuable. Anyone dumping used-up panels is an idiot.

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