More-solar-panels-mean-more-waste-and-theres-no-easy-solution
Solar panels convert energy from the sun into electricity. This electricity then goes through an inverter, where it is converted into a usable form of energy for your building.

Solar panels might be the energy source of the future, but they also create a problem without an easy solution: what do we do with millions of panels when they stop working?

In November 2016, the Environment Ministry of Japan warned that the country will produce 800,000 tons of solar waste by 2040, and it can’t yet handle those volumes. That same year, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimated that there were already 250,000 metric tons of solar panel waste worldwide and that this number would grow to 78 million by 2050. “That’s an amazing amount of growth,” says Mary Hutzler, a senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research. “It’s going to be a major problem.”

Editorial Team
The Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with data and insights to deliver useful news updates. We are experts with the mission to inform, educate and inspire the industry. We are passionately curious, enthusiastic, and motivated to positively impact the world. Send us a tip via hello @ pvbuzz [dot] com.

Canada’s British Columbia orca research station goes emissions-free with solar panels

Previous article

Puerto Rico considers move to 100 percent renewables, ending PREPA monopoly

Next article

Comments

Comments are closed.