{"id":1121,"date":"2019-01-23T21:44:22","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T21:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?p=1121"},"modified":"2021-09-28T16:44:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T16:44:43","slug":"can-solar-panels-be-recycled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Solar Panels be Recycled?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1121\" class=\"elementor elementor-1121\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c84472d lead-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c84472d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0706255\" data-id=\"0706255\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e534a65 article-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e534a65\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Can Solar Panels Be Recycled?<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-764c612 toc-and-author-bio-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"764c612\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-e91970f left-column\" data-id=\"e91970f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-befc0e4 table-of-contents elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"befc0e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_55 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#Solar-panels-%E2%80%93-A-Big-Industry-That-Must-Take-Care-About-Recycling\" title=\"Solar panels \u2013 A Big Industry That Must Take Care About Recycling\">Solar panels \u2013 A Big Industry That Must Take Care About Recycling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#What-Materials-Can-Be-Obtained-from-Solar-Panels\" title=\"What Materials Can Be Obtained from Solar Panels?\">What Materials Can Be Obtained from Solar Panels?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#What-Happens-in-the-Recycling-Process\" title=\"What Happens in the Recycling Process?\">What Happens in the Recycling Process?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#Large-Scale-Solar-Panel-Recycling-%E2%80%93-Can-It-Be-Done\" title=\"Large-Scale Solar Panel Recycling \u2013 Can It Be Done?\">Large-Scale Solar Panel Recycling \u2013 Can It Be Done?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#What-Can-Be-Done-to-Promote-Solar-Panel-Recycling\" title=\"What Can Be Done to Promote Solar Panel Recycling?\">What Can Be Done to Promote Solar Panel Recycling?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-454e202 right-column\" data-id=\"454e202\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4131197 author-bio elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"4131197\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"name\": \"Carlos\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"url\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/carlos\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"image\": \"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"jobTitle\": \"Author\"  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script><p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"author-bio-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=50&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" alt=\"Carlos\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/p><p class=\"author-bio-text\"><span class=\"written-by-text\">Written by<\/span> <span class=\"job-title\">qualified solar engineer<\/span> <span class=\"author-name\">Carlos<\/span><span class=\"written-by-period\">.<\/span> <span class=\"last-updated-text\">Last updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2021-09-28 16:44:43\">September 28, 2021<\/time><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4caed31 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4caed31\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b3770e9\" data-id=\"b3770e9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ff3f74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ff3f74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Yes, solar panels can be recycled into raw materials such as aluminum, polymers, or plastic and glass. But how much of these materials can be obtained and what is the recycling process like? We will address these questions and more in this short article about solar panel recycling.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Solar-panels-%E2%80%93-A-Big-Industry-That-Must-Take-Care-About-Recycling\"><\/span>Solar panels \u2013 A Big Industry That Must Take Care About Recycling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The solar industry growth rates keep increasing every year across the world almost exponentially. However, an industry that is proud to promote clean energy consumption and that is proud to be a sector concerned about climate change, cannot forget to dispose properly of the electronic products that exceed their lifespan.<\/p>\n<p>Countries like the US, Japan, and Germany have reached almost 50 GW of solar PV capacity to the end of 2017, which as we can imagine, represents millions of solar panels that will become waste between 2040 and 2050.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/how-long-do-solar-panels-last\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solar panels do in fact last between 25 and 30 years<\/a>. That being said, the day will eventually come when those solar panels will stop working or degrade to a level of inefficacy. At that moment, the lifespan will have ended and they will have to be recycled into raw materials for further manufacturing of new solar products.<\/p>\n<p>As you can imagine, the short answer to the question above is yes, solar panels can be recycled. But what can be obtained from this recycling process?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Materials-Can-Be-Obtained-from-Solar-Panels\"><\/span>What Materials Can Be Obtained from Solar Panels?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Solar panels have to be classified according to the technology in order to be recycled.<\/p>\n<p>Conventional silicon-based technologies like <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/monocrystalline-vs-polycrystalline-solar-panels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">monocrystalline or polycrystalline modules<\/a> can be treated similarly, but thin-film solar panels based on components like Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) or Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) must be treated separately, as their composition is much more complex and can even be toxic.<\/p>\n<p>Conventional silicon modules are composed of materials such as copper (1% -interconnections), silicon (5% &#8211; solar cells), aluminium (8% &#8211; frames), polymers or plastic (10% &#8211; encapsulant l) and glass (76% &#8211; surface of module).<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-1-1.webp 353w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-1-1-300x208.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-1-1.png\" height=\"245\" width=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-1-1.png 353w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-1-1-300x208.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1123 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"a breakdown of the different materials that make up conventional silicon modules\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irena.org\/-\/media\/Files\/IRENA\/Agency\/Publication\/2016\/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, thin-film technology contains several thin layers of semiconducting materials that are deposited onto glass, polymers, or metal.<\/p>\n<p>CIGS solar panels can be adjusted to achieve high light absorption, thanks to the adjustment of the light spectrum that varies according to the composition of the semiconducting materials (indium, gallium, and selenium). From CIGS modules we can recycle 89% of glass, 7% aluminum, and 4% of polymers. The extraction from other materials such as copper, indium, gallium, selenium, zinc, and other metals is almost negligible (0.2%).<\/p>\n<p>CdTe solar panels use cadmium sulfide and other materials such as cadmium, tellurium, and copper to develop the layers of solar cells. The proportion of glass in CdTe modules is higher than in other modules reaching 97%, and leaving nearly 3% for polymers. Other materials such as nickel, zinc, and other metals represent less than 0.5% of the total volume of the module.<\/p>\n<p>Here we can see a proportion of each technology and its materials in a percentage of the total volume of the module.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1.webp 796w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-300x148.webp 300w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-768x378.webp 768w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-354x174.webp 354w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1.png\" height=\"392\" width=\"796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1.png 796w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-768x378.png 768w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-2-1-354x174.png 354w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1124 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"bar chart to show the evolution of materials used for different pv panel technologies\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irena.org\/-\/media\/Files\/IRENA\/Agency\/Publication\/2016\/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Happens-in-the-Recycling-Process\"><\/span>What Happens in the Recycling Process?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first step is disassembly and dismantling of the PV array, including cables, steel, aluminum, racking and other electronics (inverters, batteries, etc.). Then, solar panels are packed and transported to recyclers or landfill sites depending on local regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Since most PV systems were installed from 2010 onwards, PV waste quantities are still not as large as to create massive market incentives for investors to install specialized PV recycling plants. Thus, solar panels are typically processed in general recycling plants.<\/p>\n<p>Major components such as glass, aluminum, wiring, and polymers can be easily recycled by merely mechanical separation. Then, to ensure that these materials do not contain high impurity levels that could reduce the resale prices of these materials when getting back to the market, it is necessary to conduct a combination of thermal, chemical, and metallurgical processes.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the process for the laminated glass component of silicon modules, we can see the steps in the figure below.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-3-1.webp 260w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-3-1-213x300.webp 213w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-3-1.png\" height=\"366\" width=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-3-1.png 260w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-3-1-213x300.png 213w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1125 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"process of how to recycle laminated glass\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Aluminum, steel frames, and copper from wires can be included in metal recycling loops, while polymers can be processed in waste-to-energy plants.\u00a0 On the other hand, recovering rare (silicon, silver, copper) or hazardous materials (cadmium, lead, selenium) requires advanced processes. Through pyrolysis (decomposition at high temperatures of 500\u00b0C) it is possible to remove the solar cell metallization and dopant layers to cast a new silicon ingot from the silicon material obtained. More detailed steps can be found in the figures below<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-4.webp 524w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-4-300x171.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-4.png\" height=\"299\" width=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-4.png 524w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-4-300x171.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1126 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"explanation of advanced recycling of materials using pyrolysis process\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irena.org\/-\/media\/Files\/IRENA\/Agency\/Publication\/2016\/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-5-1.webp 278w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-5-1-214x300.webp 214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-5-1.png\" height=\"390\" width=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-5-1.png 278w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-5-1-214x300.png 214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1127 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"explanation of thin-film recycling process\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irena.org\/-\/media\/Files\/IRENA\/Agency\/Publication\/2016\/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Large-Scale-Solar-Panel-Recycling-%E2%80%93-Can-It-Be-Done\"><\/span>Large-Scale Solar Panel Recycling \u2013 Can It Be Done?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We have seen that solar panels can be recycled. However, a more important question might be:<\/p>\n<p>Does the solar industry have the resources, tools, recycling plants, and market to recycle large quantities of solar panels?<\/p>\n<p>The short answer for that is no.<\/p>\n<p>The market for this sector is not yet clear nor is its policy framework, regulations, economics or methodologies in many parts of the world.<\/p>\n<p>This presents a new environmental challenge for the PV industry that needs to be addressed in the US, Japan, Germany, India, and especially in China as the country with the highest accumulated PV capacity in the world (130GW in 2017).<\/p>\n<p>Actually, based in IRENA&#8217;s estimations on a report from 2016, global panel waste projections will be as high as 78 million tonnes, equivalent to almost 4,500 GW in capacity by 2050. The greatest contributors to this waste will be China, the US, Japan, India, and Germany as you can see below.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-6.webp 631w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-6-300x167.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-6.png\" height=\"351\" width=\"631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-6.png 631w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/grafica-6-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1128 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"bar chart to show the cumulative waste volumes of top five countries for of end-of-life pv panels in 2050\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irena.org\/-\/media\/Files\/IRENA\/Agency\/Publication\/2016\/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRENA Report \u2013 End of Life Management<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Can-Be-Done-to-Promote-Solar-Panel-Recycling\"><\/span>What Can Be Done to Promote Solar Panel Recycling?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first step is developing a policy framework just as it exists in Europe with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulation that requires all producers supplying solar panels to the EU market to finance the costs associated with dismantling, transport, and recycling of end-of-life modules.<\/p>\n<p>Companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=81-MEpcA-Rc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PV Cycle<\/a> in the EU have also intervened in this aspect as a non-profit organization that focuses on the recycling of solar panels inside the EU. PV Cycle leads the way in the definition of methodologies and costs to effectively recycle the solar panels. Other companies like Veolia and Recycle PV also do their part in the US to start the development of the recycling market.<\/p>\n<p>As more companies join to this market, it is also necessary that more government initiatives take place, such as the <a href=\"http:\/\/productstewardship.net\/news\/first-solar-product-stewardship-law-passed-washington-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stewardship of Washington<\/a>, which requires manufacturers who sell solar units in the state of Washington to be responsible for financing and providing a recycling program for their modules.<\/p>\n<p>The European continent has led the way on this sector, but it is a matter of time until other regions like China, Japan, US, India, and Australia follow the path to ensure the conservation and reuse of the PV market.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6fb3bb96 post-rating-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6fb3bb96\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3a896382\" data-id=\"3a896382\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc5d3f8 post-rating elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"cc5d3f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><!-- Rate my Post Plugin --><div  class=\"rmp-widgets-container rmp-wp-plugin rmp-main-container js-rmp-widgets-container js-rmp-widgets-container--1121 \"  data-post-id=\"1121\">    <!-- Rating widget -->  <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget js-rmp-rating-widget\">          <p class=\"rmp-heading rmp-heading--title\">        We hope you liked this article. 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Vote count: <span class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results__votes js-rmp-vote-count\">20<\/span>    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__not-rated js-rmp-not-rated rmp-rating-widget__not-rated--hidden\">      No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__msg js-rmp-msg\"><\/p>  <\/div>  <!--Structured data -->  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{  \"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",  \"@type\": \"Product\",  \"aggregateRating\": {    \"@type\": \"AggregateRating\",    \"bestRating\": \"5\",    \"ratingCount\": \"20\",    \"ratingValue\": \"4.6\"  },  \"image\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Man-holding-a-recycling-logo-in-front-of-solar-panels-e1547553949816.jpg\",  \"name\": \"Can Solar Panels be Recycled?\",  \"description\": \"Can Solar Panels be Recycled?\"}<\/script>      <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can Solar Panels Be Recycled? Yes, solar panels can be recycled into raw materials such as aluminum, polymers, or plastic and glass. But how much of these materials can be obtained and what is the recycling process like? We will address these questions and more in this short article about solar panel recycling. Solar panels &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Can Solar Panels be Recycled?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"plain-container","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Solar Panels be Recycled? - ecotality.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Solar Panels be Recycled? - ecotality.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Can Solar Panels Be Recycled? Yes, solar panels can be recycled into raw materials such as aluminum, polymers, or plastic and glass. But how much of these materials can be obtained and what is the recycling process like? We will address these questions and more in this short article about solar panel recycling. Solar panels &hellip; Can Solar Panels be Recycled? 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Read More &raquo;","og_url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/","og_site_name":"ecotality.com","article_published_time":"2019-01-23T21:44:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-09-28T16:44:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":684,"height":376,"url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Man-holding-a-recycling-logo-in-front-of-solar-panels-e1547553949816.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carlos","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Carlos","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/"},"author":{"name":"Carlos","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395"},"headline":"Can Solar Panels be Recycled?","datePublished":"2019-01-23T21:44:22+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T16:44:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/"},"wordCount":1162,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["General"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/","name":"Can Solar Panels be Recycled? - ecotality.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-01-23T21:44:22+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T16:44:43+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-recycled\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Solar Panels be Recycled?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/","name":"ecotality.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization","name":"ecotality.com","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png","width":212,"height":44,"caption":"ecotality.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395","name":"Carlos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Carlos"},"description":"Carlos is a trained solar engineer deeply involved in the solar industry with a background in the design of photovoltaic systems for the residential and commercial sector. 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