Author: Graham Davidson

Here are how many solar panels are recycled in the U.S every year

There are several options for the disposal of solar panels today. If they are still operational, solar panels can be sold to secondary markets, despite degrading performance of the PV cells. Panels that have degraded to the point where reuse is not feasible, or those that are fully non-functional, can (and should) be recycled.

As We Recycle Solar’s Vice President, AJ Orben, notes on solar panels, unfortunately “9 out of 10 people would much rather improperly and illegally dispose of them than properly recycle, given the cost.”

For large-scale solar installations, such as those operated by utilities and enterprise businesses, responsible removal and recycling of solar panels has many benefits. Solar panel recycling is an environmentally progressive initiative that reduces unnecessary waste and protects the business from gray market threats and the potential of eroding their reputation.

Unfortunately, for smaller-scale projects (such as DIY and individual residential installations), some states have difficulty keeping panels out of landfills.

Recycling should be more of a focus, both at the local level and for individuals disposing of the material. A unique feature of most solar panels is that 90% of their thin modules made from cadmium telluride can be recycled.
Specialized recycling and refining processes must be used to extract many of a solar panel’s trace materials. There has been a considerable amount of effort from authorities as well as international collaborations to improve the management of discarded solar panels.

With the continuous production of panels across many sectors of the world, it has become increasingly important for manufacturers to find ways to channel old or damaged solar products to industry specialists who are equipped to recycle large quantities.

Here’s everything you need to know about the evolution of solar panels

The Invention of Solar Cells and Early Developments

Scientists have known about the power of the sun for almost 3 centuries now. The first real progress in the harnessing of solar power came in 1839 when the photovoltaic cell was invented by Edmond Becquerel, a French scientist. While researching photochemical reactions, the scientist discovered how substances assimilate light as an energy form. The 1800s saw several other developments in the conversion of solar power to electrical power like the discovery of a concept called photoconductivity (electric conduction based on light intensity) and the development of the first solar cell.

Silicon was first used to produce solar cells in 1953 by Bell Laboratories and they announced it a year later. Unfortunately, the majority of solar power applications in the 1950s were not easily commercialized. One implementation that paved the way for silicon solar technology was the U.S Navy’s dual power system, chemical and solar, for their satellite project that same decade. It came after relentless encouragement from a scientist and satellite technology expert, Dr. Hans Zigler. The silicon solar cells outlasted the chemical batteries by years. Due to the high expense of solar panels in the next couple of decades, the technology did not sell well to mainstream consumers.

Solar technology became more affordable due to the effort of Dr. Elliot Berman, who found cost-effective techniques like using lower qualities of silicon for fabricating panels. With the introduction of the Solar Power Corporation and the overall reduction in the price of production, solar energy systems became more normalized in the 1970s. The President of the United States in 1977, Jimmy Carter, even installed solar panels in the White House.

Use in Early Space Programs

Although solar energy did not launch as the cheapest power source for most applications, it was considered cost-effective for space programs. The first implementation of solar power in a space program was as a backup power option for the Vanguard 1 satellite in 1959. A year after that space expedition, a solar cell that was 10% more efficient was invented by Hoffman Electronics. In 1967, Soyuz 1 was launched as the first manned spacecraft that used solar cells.

Six years after this impressive development, a U.S space station known as Skylab with installed solar cells orbited our planet for another six years. It would have lasted longer if the solar cells had not deteriorated during the launch.

Evolution of Solar Panel Efficiency

While it’s been over five decades since silicon-based solar panels were first created by Bell Laboratories, their efficiency has witnessed rapid improvements over the years. Using research, several manufacturers have built panels that show up to a 26% increase in efficiency from its introduction to the world in 1954.

Compared to the lower-tier economy panels that have dominated the industry for years now, high-grade panels can generate up to 25% more electricity. There are several ongoing research projects into the possible increase of solar panels’ efficiency. A laboratory experiment that involved advanced solar cells showed a promising power efficiency of 46%. Although this kind of panels is highly efficient, the constituent materials make them expensive to fabricate commercially. As far as the cost of implementation goes, solar panels have become more affordable by 65% within the last decade alone. In turn, this has driven many homeowners to look to solar power systems as an alternative or backup for their electrical grid supply.

Find out how much silver is used in solar panels below

Solar panels and their accompanying systems are growing more popular among people looking for an alternative electricity supply or a backup for the grid. Unknown to many, silver plays a key role in the fabrication of these panels, and its supply is affected by the continuous rise in demand for solar power.

Solar Panel Demand Causing Increase in Silver Prices

If you’re wondering why silver is so important in making solar panels, it’s because silver is a metal with incredibly low electrical resistance. Other closely related metals cannot sufficiently match its conductivity for these panels. Silver is so crucial that it can equate up to 6 percent of the total cost of building each unit of the panel.

The average panel of approximately 2 square meters can use up to 20 grams of silver. There’s a silver paste in the solar photovoltaic (PV) cells that collects the electrons generated when the sunlight hits the panel. Because of silver’s high conductivity, it maximally converts sunlight into electricity.

A recent market trend report conducted by London-based consultancy CRU explored the relationship between the demand for solar power and the market trend of silver. According to this study, the solar power industry will likely continue to face expansion as a result of the combination of favorable government policies and global efforts to diminish our reliance on fossil fuel. Even industrial sites, especially those in remote locations, recognize solar as a competitive alternative to power supply from the grid.

New research anticipates that the cost of silver’s use in building each solar panel unit will increase to over 10 percent by the end of 2020. Also noteworthy, the growing cost of its contribution to the panels could greatly outweigh its expense percentage per unit with any other industrial use of silver in the future.

As of 2018, the solar panel manufacturing industry used about 8% of the world’s annual physical silver supply. In the near future, the entire world, and especially in fast-growing countries like China, is expected to experience an increased demand for solar power systems, which may cause a temporary rise in the price of silver. This, of course, would negatively affect the cost of producing solar panels.

Silver To Be Less Needed in Future Panels

The CRU study predicts that the PV sector will consume about 81 million ounces of silver per year over the next decade. Much more silver was used in 2019 in making PV cells (100 million ounces). This anticipated drop implies that the market demand may have peaked in the previous year.

Also noteworthy, PV cells made with materials other than silver, such as copper and aluminum, usually turn out to be less reliable. This presents a major challenge for the commercial progress of these non-silver PVs, but it is one that leading manufacturers are making progress towards resolving.

Recovering the Value of Used Silver in PV Equipment

Being as silver is a finite natural resource, and although solar panels do have long lifespans (some models can be effective for up to 30 years), the demand for silver can be profitable for owners of broken or decommissioned solar equipment.

Through unique direct-to-refinery approaches, silver from damaged or otherwise unusable PV cells can be extracted and the value recovered. The value of this silver can off-set disposal or removal costs related to a solar installation. Even if the effects that the solar industry have on silver pricing lessens, panels still provide multiple trace elements that can provide value.

Do you need solar panel recycling and disposal services? Call us today at 480) 482-7050 or (833) 294-3512 for B2B solutions.