How solar panels are becoming our latest waste problem
Australians have had a love affair with rooftop solar for the past decade, but little thought has been spared on how to deal with disused panels.
Humans are inclined to ignore emerging signs of a problem until it directly threatens them, and this is especially true for environmental issues.
Australia has been an eager early adopter of solar panels, and has big plans to install a lot more. Around two billion photovoltaic panels will need to be installed for the country to meet its net zero targets. Government rebates have spurred the uptake of rooftop solar panels among households since the 2000s.
Less attention has been paid to what happens to them when they reach the end of their life. This isn't a big problem yet, but the number of used panels is expected to grow ninefold in coming years to reach 900,000 tonnes by 2030, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
The burgeoning mountain of expired panels is a global problem too. The 43,500 tonnes recorded in 2016 is predicted to swell to 78 million tonnes by 2050. Solar panels typically have a useful life of around 30 years, but many are replaced as little as 15 years into their lifetimes because consumers are eligible for rebates after new ones are installed.
