Solar energy is on the rise: every year about 10 million new solar panels are installed on roofs and in meadows in the Netherlands. But with this enormous increase in panels, a new waste stream is also getting underway. It is estimated that around 250,000 solar panels will be discarded in the Netherlands by 2030. At the moment the only option is to put it through the shredder.
Old solar panels are still ground into concrete material. A shame, thinks Agnes Mewe, who conducts research for TNO into the recycling of solar panels. “Although for the most part it consists of glass, there are also valuable materials in such a panel, such as silicon and silver. We just have to reuse that.”
The collection and processing of discarded panels is arranged by the producer organization Stichting OPEN. Every producer or importer of solar panels pays a fixed amount per panel. General director Jan Vlak: “The contribution that is levied now is 13 cents per panel. That is far too little for the future, we also know that.”
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That is of course a ticking environmental time bomb if we don’t handle it properly.
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In order to make high-quality recycling possible in the future, whereby valuable raw materials are recovered, each panel should be about 5 to 10 euros more expensive, according to him.
Used solar panels
One of the Dutch solar panel producers is Sungevity, where Roebyem Anders is at the helm. In recent years, she has seen more and more people wanting to have their panels replaced early, because new ones yield more. “Economically, there are good reasons to replace early,” says Anders. “But that has made us think about the waste mountain, which is becoming gigantic.”
To make good use of discarded panels, Anders has set up a small company for second-hand solar panels. The very first installation of second-hand solar panels took place at Pepik Henneman, who likes to give old things a second chance:
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video-player"> —-Second-hand solar panels have been installed for the first time
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At TNO, they are now working on the solar panels of the future, which must become circular so that no part is lost. But the panels that are now coming up on the roofs are difficult to take apart. Mewe: “A panel consists of different layers. They are baked in an oven and pressed together.” Techniques for taking these panels apart are still very expensive.
piggy bank
Flat therefore argues in favor of starting now to build up a fund for the discarded panels of the future. “Our ambition is to realize the highest possible recycling. Then you will also have to switch to processing techniques that are more expensive than the current technology. That is now beyond dispute.”
However, there is no great haste with that piggy bank for the future. According to Vlak, the number of producers that do not pay a recycling contribution at all is still too large to set up such a thing. “The large number freeriders is a competitive disadvantage for well-organized companies. We want to tackle that first.” In the meantime, politicians are taking a wait-and-see role, leaving it to the market.
Meanwhile, Anders is concerned about the growing waste stream: “We expect that there will be around 80 million solar panels on Dutch roofs and on the ground by the end of 2024. That is of course a ticking environmental time bomb if we don’t handle it properly. just start investing in good recycling facilities in the Netherlands.”
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