Solar Recycling: Driving Down Costs
The number of retired solar panels may reach 10 million per year before 2030, exceeding IEA estimates.
Waiting to build recycling infrastructure until the industry reaches a large scale could lead to high costs for asset owners.
The challenge and opportunity of creating a circular economy for solar energy is growing faster than most people think.
In the U.S., approximately 4-5 million panels reach the end of their life annually, with this number expected to increase to tens of millions domestically and hundreds of millions globally by 2040.
Author's summary: Solar recycling costs must be driven down before panel volumes spike.