Solar Panel Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities in SA

Solar Panel Lifecycles: The Future of Solar Recycling

In February 2024, it was revealed that South Africans generate more electricity through private solar installations than Eskom’s largest power station. This news comes as no surprise after the country imported a record-breaking number of solar panels in 2023. Solar energy is booming, and ongoing load shedding is fuelling the fire.

Last year, we introduced something not all homeowners consider when installing their new energy systems: solar panel recycling. While it may be a hot topic abroad, South Africa is only just discovering the dark side of a mass solar power uptake.

The good news is that the PV panels we install today will only need to be replaced in about 20 years – giving us plenty of time to get a solid recycling system in place. Here’s a closer look at what solar panel recycling entails, and what it will take to implement it in South Africa.

Shedding Light on the Solar Panel Recycling Process

One of the biggest challenges the waste industry experiences across the board is profitability. Recycling has to be financially viable for entrepreneurs to pursue it, and currently, solar panel recycling doesn’t yield much profit. It’s often cheaper to simply discard the panels as e-waste.

However, there are recycling companies, especially established ones, willing to take on the challenge. A solar panel’s aluminium and glass frame alone (which make up about 80% of its weight) could create sizable new income streams for South African recyclers of the future. What’s more, solar panels contain silver and copper, which could fetch a higher price if recovered properly.

In 2018, a French company called Veolia built the first European solar panel recycling facility. Before, solar panels typically ended up in general e-waste recycling lines. Recycling them with other electronics didn’t allow for the best material recovery rates–the process often looked like this:

Recyclers manually remove the aluminium frame to recycle it separately.
The glass, silicone, and other metals are indiscriminately crushed, creating a mixed cullet that doesn’t have much value beyond becoming a concrete aggregate.

Veolia’s technology started a race to find the best way of separating solar cell materials with greater precision. Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, for example, recently patented recycling technology that can separate 99% of a PV cell’s components.

Their technology relies on vibrating or “sieving” the solar cells to break them into smaller pieces, making it easier to remove the silver inside. Investing in such technology could help us recover precious metals that could become raw materials or valuable economic exports.

Barriers to Solar Panel Recycling in South Africa

Decommissioned solar panels are piling up, and South African recycling plants are “unequipped to deal with them.” This was the warning Francois Pretorius from the Institute for Futures Research (IFR) at Stellenbosch University shared on national news in 2023.

Implementing large-scale solar panel recycling in SA still faces many challenges, such as:

Significant financial investment.
High energy requirements amidst ongoing load shedding.
Establishing an end-market for recovered materials.
Stakeholder buy-in (support from businesses, consumers, and government).

For now, exporting solar panels to countries with the infrastructure required to recycle them seems to be the best option. Alternatively, consumers can repair or refurbish old solar panels through Reclite SA.

On the Bright Side: Solar Panel Recycling Brings New Opportunity for SA

While implementing a local recycling system for solar panels may prove challenging, it could bolster the South African economy in the long run.

Currently, there is only one locally-owned solar panel manufacturing company in the country. With the right recycling technology, we could recover enough solar-grade silicon from end-of-life PV panels to scale our local solar industry considerably. Increasing our manufacturing efforts reduces reliance on imports, creates jobs, and supports national skills development goals.

Additionally, the high value of reclaimed silicon could further incentivize recycling and create export opportunities. Locally-made panels, upcycled raw materials, and offering recycling services to neighbouring nations would mean big gains for South Africa’s GDP.

Reaping the Environmental Benefits

We can’t talk about recycling and renewable energy without mentioning the environment. Scaling our current recycling system would mean less e-waste ending up in landfills. Solar panels are notorious for their pollution-creating potential. They contain lead, cadmium, and other toxic substances that could threaten human health and endanger our food systems.

Recycling them is a far better end-of-life solution. Refurbishing, repurposing, and reselling them also makes clean solar energy more accessible to all, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

The Role of EPR in Solar Panel Recycling Systems

South Africa made it illegal to send solar panels to landfills in 2021. This restriction forms part of the latest EPR regulations under the NEM: WA Act. Under the new law, businesses that import, manufacture, or sell solar panels are responsible for their end-of-life management.

Solar companies can remain compliant by implementing a take-back scheme for old PV panels to assist the customer with recycling or refurbishment. They can do this through a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) or on their own terms.

Despite the hurdles on our path, South Africa’s existing recycling industry is flourishing. With world-class EPR legislation to support our efforts, we could make solar panel recycling a lucrative reality. Contact eWASA for more information about e-waste recycling, EPR, and how to get involved.

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