Follow us:
Subscribe to our e-newsletter

logo

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Agriculture
  • Projects
  • Products and Services
  • Events
  • Online Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Agricultutre
  • Projects
  • Products
  • Events
  • Online Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Researchers prepare for looming solar and wind energy waste problem

22 Feb, 2021
8



Researchers at the University of South Australia are leading a national push to ensure the dream of renewable energy doesn’t become a nightmare of waste management.

Australia has the highest proportion of household photovoltaic (PV) systems in the world, with more than 21 per cent of homes – or around 2.59 million – now possessing a solar energy system.

With most PV systems paying themselves off in three to five years, the average 25-year life span of solar panels makes them an excellent investment, delivering a good return for decades after their cost is recovered.

Eventually, however, all good things come to an end, and increasingly, industry experts are starting to ask what we’re going to do with all these solar panels when they are due to be replaced.

In Australia alone, it is estimated more than 100,000 tonnes of solar panels will enter the national waste stream by 2035.

Solar energy expert, Professor Peter Majewski, is leading research at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute (FII) to help establish a lifetime stewardship scheme for Australia’s PV industry, ensuring end-of-life strategies are in place long before solar waste peaks.

“We have time to plan for this and ensure the processes are in place, but we have to start acting now, as the right practices may take some time to implement,” Professor Majewski said.

“There are good stewardship programs in place for products such as paint and tyres in Australia, and we would like to see a similar system in place for solar, where the disposal process is pre-planned as an integral part of the product lifecycle.”

While retired solar panels are relatively safe and stable, they are classified as e-waste, meaning they cannot be put into landfill in Victoria. With similar bans likely to follow in other states, the need for alternative solutions is clear.

One major challenge facing the solar industry is the low recycle value of PV panels, coupled with the high energy requirements of the currently available collection and recycling processes.

“There is only a little over $5 in recyclable materials in each panel at current market value,” Professor Majewski shared.

“The high volume of panels will eventually offset this low value to an extent, but at the moment, we can’t expect market forces alone to drive recycling, and investment is needed to establish a waste management scheme and to improve the technology available for that process.”

Professor Peter Majewski is a Research Professor in Advanced Materials at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute. Image of Professor Majewski courtesy of the University of South Australia.

Professor Majewski’s team at FII are currently working on developing both policy and technological solutions to PV’s end of life problem, and he believes the integration of both dimensions will be key to a successful stewardship scheme.

He believes that regulation around collection and recycling targets will be important to drive the process initially, but notes that developing the best disposal techniques is essential, and this may even influence manufacturing techniques and what goes into the panels to start with.

End-of-life management for PV isn’t the only challenge facing the renewables industry, and a similar disposal problem exists in relation to the blades of wind turbines, which are large and notoriously difficult to recycle.

“These blades are the size of an airliner wing, and they have been built to withstand hurricane-force winds, so they are a big challenge when they get to the end of their life,” Professor Majewski commented.

“As with solar panels, that disposal challenge requires planning and preparation, but approached the right way it doesn’t have to be an insurmountable problem, and we are beginning to look at strategies for how to deal with these blades as they come offline.”

Related Articles

Lightsource bp secures a new 845MW pipeline in Spain

Storing excess solar from the grid using hot water systems

Equinor to explore opportunities in offshore floating solar

Funding boost for ANU solar research

Comments

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Latest Posts

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Agriculture
04 Mar

Consultation on Electric Vehicle Road User Charge to commence this week

03 Mar

Electric bus company gears up for zero-emission growth

03 Mar

New EV sales figures show Australia stalled with hazards flashing

03 Mar

Sweet deal sees Mars Australia hit 100 per cent renewable electricity

02 Mar

After a steep drop in early 2020, global CO2 emissions have rebounded strongly

25 Feb

Research finds bushfires should change where and how Australians live

22 Feb

Funding to support the use of recycled materials in infrastructure projects

15 Feb

Is building with timber really sustainable?

12 Feb

NREL heats up thermal energy storage with solution to ease grid stress

10 Feb

Report highlights opportunities to reduce emissions in Brazil’s cement sector

05 Mar

Chevron invests in geothermal development company

04 Mar

Minerals processing roadmap: An opportunity for jobs and climate

02 Mar

Researchers stress hidden pollution from shipping threatens sustainable ocean efforts

02 Mar

MOU signed for green hydrogen in heavy goods transport

26 Feb

ExxonMobil tests advanced recycling of plastic waste in Texas

05 Mar

Carbon+Biodiversity Pilot to reward farmers for increasing biodiversity

03 Mar

Research into white-rot fungi proves value in carbon sequestration from lignin

16 Feb

Researchers call for further action on cadmium

16 Feb

‘See through soil’ could help farmers deal with future droughts

12 Feb

Andhra Pradesh makes progress in achieving solar target for farming needs

Online Magazine

    Current Cover
  • Login
  • Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter

Our Titles

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
© Sage Media Group 2021 All Rights Reserved.
×
Authorization
  • Registration
 This feature has been disabled
 This feature has been disabled until further notice, however you may still register
×
Registration
  • Autorization
Register
* All fields required