Solar panels: what happens at the end of their life?

Australia leads the world in rooftop solar uptake, with more than one in three Australian homes now having solar panels installed. But what happens to solar panels when they reach end-of-life and what initiatives are in place to reduce solar panel waste?  

What is the lifespan of a solar panel?  

Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar panels generally have a design life of 25 to 30 years and will naturally degrade or lose their efficiency over time. After a few decades, they may still function but generate less electricity than when they were installed. According to the Clean Energy Council, panels are expected to still produce 85% of their original capacity at 30 years.  

Are solar panels recyclable? 

Solar panels consist of 95% recyclable materials. This includes glass, aluminium, silicon, silver and copper, which can be recovered and reused with the right recycling processes. 

The Smart Energy Council estimates that around one-third of solar panels could be re-used instead of being thrown away. This could contribute up to 24 gigawatts of energy by 2040, enough to power 6 million homes a year. 

National solar panel recycling pilot scheme 

In January, the Australian Government announced it will invest $24.7 million over 3 years to establish a national solar panel recycling pilot program. Up to 100 collection sites will be established across the country to help deal with the growing challenge of discarded rooftop solar panels. 

The announcement follows the release of a new report by the Productivity Commission on circularity in Australia’s economy. The report specifically recommends the establishment of a solar panel recycling scheme. The report also highlighted opportunities to strengthen Australia’s circular economy through improved coordination, better regulatory design and innovation, especially for high-value, high-risk waste streams such as solar panels.  

This recycling program will create more local jobs and build a sustainable and effective national solution to recycling solar panels into the future.  

Read more about this pilot program 

More information 

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