Recycling of solar panels

[colinneil 76,578]

Just now, Crossy said:

 

One assumes you would never dream of pinching empties from the back of the "offie" and getting the deposit back again, and again, and again ...

Been there, done that, and got a damn good slap when i got caught.

[Crossy 28,038]

1 minute ago, colinneil said:

Been there, done that, and got a damn good slap when i got caught.

 

It's a times like this that a naive baby sister is a handy thing to have

 

Of course if I mention it, even now, she gives me a solid clip around the lug-hole. This is a woman who doesn't run marathons because "they are not far enough", definitely not to be trifled with!

 

[Crossy 28,038]

10 minutes ago, Crossy said:

definitely not to be trifled with!

you may even have seen her on 't telly ....

 

 

 

[Muhendis 918]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

One assumes you would never dream of pinching empties from the back of the "offie" and getting the deposit back again, and again, and again ...

Who!  Me?  

[rickudon 1,352]

The amount of toxic waste in a solar panel is relatively small, probably similar to all other electrical/electronic waste. Batteries more of a concern i think.

 You also need to be sceptical of some claims - i visited a link a few months ago which claimed that solar panels are full of toxic waste - it gave a whole string of elements including cadmium and a few others which i am pretty sure are not used in solar panels. So i chased up where this article was from - wasn't surprised that it came from a site that slagged off renewable energy sources, said that coal was clean with new technologies and that global warming was fake news.

[Jlop 60]

On 2/23/2021 at 2:09 PM, rickudon said:

The amount of toxic waste in a solar panel is relatively small, probably similar to all other electrical/electronic waste. Batteries more of a concern i think.

 You also need to be sceptical of some claims - i visited a link a few months ago which claimed that solar panels are full of toxic waste - it gave a whole string of elements including cadmium and a few others which i am pretty sure are not used in solar panels. So i chased up where this article was from - wasn't surprised that it came from a site that slagged off renewable energy sources, said that coal was clean with new technologies and that global warming was fake news.

Some of the concerns about the manufacturing of panels are listed in the article that I posted to start this topic. 

 

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ENVIRONMENT

Solar Panel Waste: The Dark Side of Clean Energy

Tons of solar panels installed in the early 2000s are reaching the end of their lifecycles, posing a serious problem for the industry to contend with. Current solar panel disposal practices are far from being environmentally friendly.

By Conor PrendergastDecember 15, 2020 1:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

(Credit: anweber/Shutterstock)

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On paper, solar energy seems more promising than ever. Solar cells are becoming easier to produce, along with becoming increasingly compact and portable. But there are a few problems with solar energy that’s seldom talked about. Questions remain about whether their production and waste creates more pollutants than the fossil fuels they aim to replace.

Manufacturing solar panels often requires the use of several noxious chemicals. To add to that, solar panels have an operating lifespan of around 20 to 30 years. Since they were first introduced in the 2000s, literal tons of solar panels are reaching the end of their lifespan. Because it's not easy to properly dispose of the toxic metals inside the solar cells — and there's an overall lack of oversight — it is often cheaper to discard them in landfills or send them to developing countries. As solar panels sit in dumps, the toxic metals they contain can leech out into the environment and possibly pose a public health hazard if they get into the groundwater supply.

What’s in a Solar Panel? 

A solar panel is essentially made up of several sheets of silicon crystals called cells. Each cell making up a solar panel is sandwiched by an aluminum and glass layer. Together, they form the energy-producing components that convert sunlight into electricity.

 

The cells require very pure silicon to work properly. When silicon atoms are hit with sunlight, an electron gets ejected and creates a spark that’s similar to what happens when you microwave metal. These electrons are carried through the cell via traces of metal impurities added to the silicon, and copper wires carry it away as electrical currents.

Very pure silicon must be used because the crystal structure it forms is most conducive to letting electrons flow. Production commonly includes nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride, some of the most harmful greenhouse gases around.

Normally silicon is recyclable, but to improve the solar cells’ electrical efficiency, metals such as cadmium and lead are added. This makes solar cells difficult to recycle, since it will take considerable energy to extract hazardous metals. In fact, it often costs companies more to recycle a solar panel than to produce a solar panel.

 

[rickudon 1,352]

Did some more research and yes, Cadmium can be used - but only 2% of world production in 2008. Can find no references to Lead other than a bit of solder. The other metals are not particularly toxic. Some nasty chemicals are used to make pure silicon, but not left in the product. So, as i said, not really any more of a waste disposal issue than other electrical/electronic waste. 

 

But i am all for 100% recycling of waste. Landfill is just an economic decision. Tax waste massively and recycling will boom. This applies to all waste products.

[Muhendis 918]

On 2/28/2021 at 4:33 PM, Jlop said:

On paper, solar energy seems more promising than ever. Solar cells are becoming easier to produce, along with becoming increasingly compact and portable. But there are a few problems with solar energy that’s seldom talked about. Questions remain about whether their production and waste creates more pollutants than the fossil fuels they aim to replace.

Manufacturing solar panels often requires the use of several noxious chemicals. To add to that, solar panels have an operating lifespan of around 20 to 30 years. Since they were first introduced in the 2000s, literal tons of solar panels are reaching the end of their lifespan. Because it's not easy to properly dispose of the toxic metals inside the solar cells — and there's an overall lack of oversight — it is often cheaper to discard them in landfills or send them to developing countries. As solar panels sit in dumps, the toxic metals they contain can leech out into the environment and possibly pose a public health hazard if they get into the groundwater supply.

What’s in a Solar Panel? 

A solar panel is essentially made up of several sheets of silicon crystals called cells. Each cell making up a solar panel is sandwiched by an aluminum and glass layer. Together, they form the energy-producing components that convert sunlight into electricity.

 

The cells require very pure silicon to work properly. When silicon atoms are hit with sunlight, an electron gets ejected and creates a spark that’s similar to what happens when you microwave metal. These electrons are carried through the cell via traces of metal impurities added to the silicon, and copper wires carry it away as electrical currents.

Very pure silicon must be used because the crystal structure it forms is most conducive to letting electrons flow. Production commonly includes nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride, some of the most harmful greenhouse gases around.

Normally silicon is recyclable, but to improve the solar cells’ electrical efficiency, metals such as cadmium and lead are added. This makes solar cells difficult to recycle, since it will take considerable energy to extract hazardous metals. In fact, it often costs companies more to recycle a solar panel than to produce a solar panel.

I've never read such a load of tripe in my life.

"When silicon atoms are hit with sunlight, an electron gets ejected and creates a spark that’s similar to what happens when you microwave metal"...........WHAT?

"Each cell making up a solar panel is sandwiched by an aluminum and glass layer."........ He can't spell aluminium so definitely American and he has absolutely no idea how a solar panel is made. I agree he's an anti-clean-energy nutter. The chemicals he mentioned are used throughout the semiconductor industry in a very controlled way and not just for solar cell manufacture. The devices in our mobile phones, TV's, computers et al are all produced similarly. 

There are some parts of a solar panel which may be difficult to recycle like the thin plastic membrane on the back and the film of adhesive that binds the layers together and the frame to the glass. By the way the electronics industry stopped using lead many years ago.

 

[natway09 5,311]

Thailand has  huge recycling & keeps thousands employed 

[Iron Tongue 688]

On 2/21/2021 at 3:46 AM, Jlop said:

The key seems to be getting the companies to agree to take them back or forcing them to take them back. And then they have to recycle the materials. But we are a long way from that in a lot of countries including Thailand.

 

Sounds easy but it isn't, especially for countries like Thailand. 

Who exactly do you "force" to take back the panels?  The Chinese factories manufacturing, the exporter, the importer, the distributor, any local distributors/retailer, the contractor, or the sub that does the actual installation?

Expect any of them to be around in 20-years?

[Billy Bloggs 234]

On 2/22/2021 at 5:57 PM, Crossy said:

 

One assumes you would never dream of pinching empties from the back of the "offie" and getting the deposit back again, and again, and again ...

Funny we used to do that with glass coke bottles at our local corner shop in Oz.

[Jlop 60]

On 3/1/2021 at 2:35 PM, rickudon said:

Did some more research and yes, Cadmium can be used - but only 2% of world production in 2008. Can find no references to Lead other than a bit of solder. The other metals are not particularly toxic. Some nasty chemicals are used to make pure silicon, but not left in the product. So, as i said, not really any more of a waste disposal issue than other electrical/electronic waste. 

 

But i am all for 100% recycling of waste. Landfill is just an economic decision. Tax waste massively and recycling will boom. This applies to all waste products.

You learned that 2% of the world's cadmium was used in producing solar panels? That sounds high for one product - so it's concerning. Regarding the other metals that you say are not particularly toxic, one must also consider how those minerals are obtained. Some of them involve really destructive and polluting mining and refining. And thus a lot of pollution is preloaded into solar panels and many other electronic products. If you don't recover those minerals somehow, then more areas will be torn up and more  pollution will result to make the next generation of solar panels.

Edited 13 hours ago by Jlop
Mistakes

[Jlop 60]

On 3/1/2021 at 5:48 PM, Muhendis said:

I've never read such a load of tripe in my life.

"When silicon atoms are hit with sunlight, an electron gets ejected and creates a spark that’s similar to what happens when you microwave metal"...........WHAT?

"Each cell making up a solar panel is sandwiched by an aluminum and glass layer."........ He can't spell aluminium so definitely American and he has absolutely no idea how a solar panel is made. I agree he's an anti-clean-energy nutter. The chemicals he mentioned are used throughout the semiconductor industry in a very controlled way and not just for solar cell manufacture. The devices in our mobile phones, TV's, computers et al are all produced similarly. 

There are some parts of a solar panel which may be difficult to recycle like the thin plastic membrane on the back and the film of adhesive that binds the layers together and the frame to the glass. By the way the electronics industry stopped using lead many years ago.

 

Please don't paint all Americans with the same brush. And your statement that "the electronics Industry stopped using lead many years ago" is ridiculous. Reduced yes, but not eliminated. https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/article/21121514/lead-past-present-and-future