With over 107GW global solar PV capacity in 2020—how do we recycle panels that can’t be reused?

The problem with recycling solar modules is they usually last 20 to 25 years and are known to work for up to 40 years.

In an industry that is really only about a decade old, that’s quite a lag time. While most solar panel recyclers specialize in extracting value out of refurbishing waste solar modules, there are other companies that specialize in recycling glass, metals, and other components.

David Dodge of Green Energy Futures spoke with Cascade Eco Minerals based in Medford, Oregon. They are a division of Dlubak Specialty Glass a company with a long history in the glass business.

“We’re really focused on the end-of-life processing of the glass because these modules tend to be 65 to 85% glass by weight,” says Chris Stearns, who used to work in the solar industry, but now is Cascade’s national sales director.

Listen to the conversation:

This podcast was produced and published by Green Energy Futures. It was originally published on their Soundcloud Channel.
Its published here via a content partnership.