Comments on: It’s time to plan for solar panel recycling in the United States

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 23:12:10 +0000

There’s definitely work being done in the solar panel recycling space. Here in Washington, the conversation is happening. More importantly, Washington is leading the charge with legislation intended to keep panels out of the landfill.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=70A.510.010

By: Jonathan Saunders

Jonathan Saunders — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 18:48:52 +0000

This is the way forward, being a leader on recycling product lifecycle of PV modules. End of life products still have a use for separation of materials and using these as blends into your sustainable business model. We are seeing few companies starting to do this, but the logistics of the shipping make it more difficult. A donation facility to break these down and make the raws available for a alternative materials to refine for reuse in new panels can be a good replacement plan for putting your customers first, as they are also against old PV’s going into landfill dumps.

By: Perico

Perico — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 17:11:26 +0000

Seems more important to have the panels made repairable instead of discarding them when the glass shatters. Reuse is better than recycle.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 21:21:11 +0000

Great piece. It’s going to be a windfall of discarded solar panels all at once…

By: Udem Mbanugo

Udem Mbanugo — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 13:47:36 +0000

In reply to Neal Collier. The reuse option for a lower budget is instructive. The informed opinion about the rugged nature of the panels is also pleasing to learn. Are there sources for used solar panels, batteries and inverter one can reach.

By: Wm vickery

Wm vickery — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 18:28:35 +0000

How much does a home owner have to pay to dispose of a large roof top panel.

By: Raymond Rapisand

Raymond Rapisand — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 23:47:29 +0000

Great article very informative. Well written. You define the materials used the % and value. That Cinncinati co and First Solar have got some good Vision.thanks Raymond west Texas

By: Kelly Pickerel

Kelly Pickerel — Thu, 09 May 2019 21:43:56 +0000

In reply to Tony Rosati.

Tony – those chemicals are often not used in silicon solar panels. Take a look at the section on how First Solar recycles panels for more info on how cadmium and other chemicals are recycled. Also check out First Solar’s website.
It’s still pretty early in the recycling game that I don’t know how profitable it is.

By: Tony Rosati

Tony Rosati — Wed, 08 May 2019 01:36:17 +0000

Very interesting article,

I have 2 questions:

1. What happens to the toxic materials used in solar panel manufacturing: Cadmium, Mercury, Zinc, Gallium, Indium, Arsenic, Antimony, and Phosphorus. Are these recovered from silicon somehow or more likely burned?
2. What is the economics of the recycler? It has to be profitable to sell the byproducts of the recycled panels. Are they?

By: Mayela Duran Caffroni

Mayela Duran Caffroni — Mon, 06 May 2019 20:00:44 +0000

Wow Kelly is a great article, and a great initiative in which I am working together with my team in South America. In Chile we go a little slower but obviously it is a problem that is glimpsed and in which we must take action

By: Neal Collier

Neal Collier — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 01:55:49 +0000

Many PV panels can be recycled in the form of reuse. I am up to about 10kw of reliable PV power from recycled panels, most of which have cracked cells because they were stomped and thrown off the roof! I have a good many panels that have broken glass and put out just fine. In one experiment, I took a 280 watt panel that had been bashed by a tractor hard enough to dismount it. It still made useful power. Checking a friend’s claim that they’ll work with a hole in them, I shot it repeatedly with a pistol and a shotgun. It still puts out enough to charge a battery. Solar cells are merely rocks with wires. Repairing broken wires and burnt diodes is not usually a big deal.

I’ve traveled thousands of miles in my solar boat, using “B” panels, with no problem. My friend, John Kimball, of Sun Electronics, in Miami, has repurposed tens of thousands of modules removed from old solar farms and other sources. “Scratch and dent” panels at bargain prices allow people on smaller budgets to provide their own power.

I’d say the best recycling of old PV modules is reuse. Consider that before crushing to reclaim materials.

By: Kelly Pickerel

Kelly Pickerel — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:52:16 +0000

In reply to Jennifer Woolwich. Jennifer, I reached out to you several times for comments but did not receive a response. Of course, we are very supportive of women here at Solar Power World. I do hope to hear more of your work within solar in the coming years.

By: Jennifer Woolwich

Jennifer Woolwich — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 19:52:56 +0000

My name is Jennifer Woolwich. I am the founder and was CEO of pv recycling, llc in the United States. We were based in Arizona with an office in San Jose, CA. I was surprised to see this article with no reference to the 5 years of work that my company did related to national regulation development, international relations, logistics, process engineering and everything else involved in commercializing a start-up. Figures that women’s history in the solar industry will be made non-existent.

By: Hassan Yarpezeshkan

Hassan Yarpezeshkan — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 03:06:19 +0000

Kelly,
Very useful information hope the politician taking PV recycling seriously, thank you I learn a lot from this article

By: Jack Melson

Jack Melson — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 21:18:32 +0000

You should look Into a company called WellPower. They repurpose old solar panels to power solar water filtration systems in the developing world. Reusing should always come before recycling. Their website is http://www.wellpower.tech