What Happens When Solar Panels Reach the End of Their Life?

By the end of 2024, global solar energy capacity is expected to hit nearly 2,000 gigawatts, powered by millions of solar panels. These panels, made of silicon, glass, polymers, and metals, typically last for up to 30 years. However, as the solar industry continues to grow, the question remains: what happens to solar panels when they become obsolete?

The Lifespan of a Solar Panel

While most solar panels have a lifespan of around 30 years, this number isn’t set in stone. Garvin Heath of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explains that early-life failures are usually caused by manufacturing or installation defects. Panels generally perform well until they near the three-decade mark, at which point failure rates increase. Even so, the number of panels that break remains less than one percent of the total in operation.

However, environmental factors also play a role. Weather events like storms can damage panels, and even regular exposure to harsh conditions can degrade them over time.

Why Solar Panels Are Retired Early

Despite their potential longevity, many panels are retired after 25-30 years, even if they aren’t broken. This is due to a decline in efficiency over time. Solar panels lose their ability to generate energy as the adhesive layers between the glass and solar cells discolor, reducing light transmission. For commercial solar farms, this reduction in efficiency makes it more cost-effective to replace the panels with newer, more efficient ones.

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“Solar farms need to maximize power output,” says Heath. As interconnection limits on power grids are fixed, any loss in efficiency impacts profitability. Thus, the economic imperative leads to otherwise functional panels being replaced.

The Challenges of Solar Panel Recycling

Recycling solar panels is a complex and often uneconomical process. Only about 10% of solar panels are recycled, while the rest are sent to landfills. The lack of standardized recycling regulations and the variety of materials used in solar panel construction complicates the process. Recyclers face challenges in separating the valuable metals embedded in the panels from the polymer layers that bind them together.

Matt Burnell, founder of the British startup ReSolar, highlights the logistical difficulties of recycling panels. “It often costs more to test and repair a panel than to buy a new one,” Burnell says. This economic imbalance means that repair and recycling efforts lag behind, and many working panels end up discarded.

The Need for Better Recycling Solutions

In the UK and Europe, solar panels fall under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which mandates companies to collect and recycle discarded panels. However, this system still faces challenges. Current recycling methods often result in the loss of valuable materials like silicon and silver, as they are hard to recover from degraded panels.

Fortunately, innovations are on the horizon. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working on a new solar panel design that could make recycling easier. The design uses femtosecond lasers to weld the glass layers of the panel, eliminating the need for adhesive polymers. This could extend the panel’s lifespan and simplify the recycling process by allowing the glass to be easily shattered and recycled.

The Future of Solar Panel Disposal

As solar energy adoption continues to grow, the volume of decommissioned panels will also rise. The challenge is finding a cost-effective and scalable way to recycle them. Without this, we may face a significant environmental problem in the future, with large quantities of panels piling up in landfills.

Matt Burnell believes the industry is still in its early stages when it comes to solar recycling but remains optimistic about future advancements. “We have time to develop solutions before the bulk of today’s panels reach the end of their life,” he says. However, without better recycling infrastructure, the future of solar panel disposal looks uncertain.

Data Source and Images Credit: engadget