
Solar panel recycling is not off to a good start in Washington.
Solar power has been on the rise in Washington state because of federal and state funded incentive programs.
Just a couple of examples.
I have a friend who lives up on Badger Mountain who is totally off the grid, all the power for his home comes from solar panels.
My sister just built a new home on the peninsula, and she put solar power on the roof of her home with the help of federal and state incentives. Her last power bill was like 5 or $6.
In Seattle, solar installations have doubled since 2018.
Now here is the problem.
What happens when a solar panel ends its lifetime in approximately 25 years? You recycle it, right? That's what Washington state is hoping for, but it's not working out as well as they had hoped. Washington state is built in a recycling clause in their incentive program and requires the manufacturer to be able to recycle solar panels when they reach the end of life, and because of that clause some manufacturers of solar panels are refusing to sell their products in Washington state because they don't want to be responsible for the recycling.
Recycling solar panels is difficult, it's expensive, and most panel manufacturers would just rather see them go into a landfill. (Not the best option.)
according to seattletimes.com,
‘The compliance deadline has been pushed back twice and now facing the current deadline — July 1, 2025 — the state Department of Ecology is requesting another delay from lawmakers.’
The biggest problem with solar panel recycling right now is the technology. Separating the solar cells from the glass of the panel, then separating the separate elements from the panel. Currently, there are only 14 solar panel manufacturers that are even interested in selling in Washington state that have either supplied a Washington recycling plan or even expressed interest in creating a recycling plan to the Department of Ecology.
An interesting point, utilities are paying around $5 a panel to get it recycled. The recyclers are only receiving $3 when the process is finished.
All we can do is hope that technology catches up with the need to recycle these panels.
WA wanted to be a national leader on solar panel recycling. It’s had a tough start | The Seattle Times
Solar panels - Washington State Department of Ecology
Washington.pdf
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