I am just shocked to learn that green energy has a toxic backside... so... now.. green and clean has to pay its due at disposal. Perhaps, the mantra of "Free Energy" will now have to be changed to "Deferred Cost Energy" ?
I won't take this any further because it might become "political talk or something" unacceptable on this board. On Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 5:54 PM OK Don via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Once again, TANSTAAFL. > > On Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 2:14 PM Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > Searching for ways to recycle solar panels. > > RENEWABLE ENERGY > > 'They need to be ready.' Study warns of growing solar waste > > > > Published: Monday, July 20, 2020 > > [image: Solar Panels. Photo credit: Veolia Group/YouTube] > > > > Eight million tons of solar panels could reach the end of their useful > > lives by 2030, and federal researchers are highlighting the need to > recycle > > them. Solar panels outside a recycling facility in Europe are pictured. > > Veolia > > Group/YouTube > > > > Federal scientists are warning that a wave of waste from solar panels > could > > catch landfills off guard unless researchers figure out ways to recycle > it. > > > > In a study published last week in *Nature Energy*, analysts at the > National > > Renewable Energy Laboratory said roughly 8 million tons of solar > > photovoltaic panels are expected to hit landfills globally by the end of > > this decade, rising to 80 million by midcentury, when they could account > > for about 10% of all electronic waste. > > > > All those end-of-life panels could clog up landfills in the U.S. and > > elsewhere, leaving valuable metals behind and contributing to greenhouse > > gas emissions, NREL scientists said. While the International Energy > Agency > > has so far concluded that the most widespread solar panel poses little > risk > > to human health, a lack of standard testing protocol leaves uncertainties > > about whether harmful chemicals could leach out of decomposing equipment, > > according to researchers. > > > > But solar recycling could turn into a $15 billion global industry of its > > own by 2050, according to prior studies, and lead to the creation of 2 > > billion new panels. In the U.S., recycling could also provide a supply of > > minerals deemed "critical" for national security purposes, while reducing > > the solar industry's environmental footprint, the study said. > > > > "Solar PV has widespread support ... because it's a green, clean > > technology," said Garvin Heath, lead author of the study and an expert on > > life-cycle assessment for energy technologies at NREL. "Part of its > > implicit promise is based upon the industry addressing and ensuring that > > it's as clean as it can be, in all phases of use. > > > > "The end-of-life phase is one we haven't confronted yet. But we're going > to > > soon," he added. "This problem is going to come to us. The industry, > > policymakers, researchers, society as a whole — they need to be ready for > > that." > > > > The growth of solar photovoltaics, which produce about 3% of the world's > > power, didn't begin in earnest until the 2000s. Typical warranties of > > panels often last between 25 and 30 years. While hailstorms, floods and > > other natural disasters have sometimes damaged installations en masse, > the > > real wave of end-of-life panels hasn't arrived. > > > > Researchers need to focus their attention now on solutions for handling > > that wave "because the accumulation of waste will sneak up on us," said > > co-author and NREL photovoltaics researcher Timothy Silverman. > > > > "Much like the exponential growth of PV installations, it will seem to > move > > slowly and then rapidly accelerate. By the time there's enough waste to > > open a PV-dedicated facility, we need to have already studied the proper > > process," he said. > > West Coast moves > > > > Globally, one dedicated facility exists for recycling crystalline silicon > > panels, the most common type, although the European Union has long > mandated > > that developers recycle cadmium telluride panels due to concerns about > the > > toxicity of cadmium. > > > > The U.S. has no dedicated solar panel recyclers, although the Solar > Energy > > Industries Association (SEIA) has roughly a dozen partner facilities > > nationally that can handle parts of panels. > > > > The group says it's aiming to add two to four partners per year. > > > > "Our priorities have been to help recyclers' capabilities so that our > > members and stakeholders have options available to them across the > > country," said Evelyn Butler, SEIA's senior director of codes and > > standards, in a statement. "The geographic diversity of available > recyclers > > and development of an on-the-ground network to enable recycling is very > > important to reduce the cost, widen the availability and to encourage > this > > choice as an end-of-life management option." > > > > A few West Coast states have undertaken policies to encourage solar panel > > recycling. Last week, California regulators moved to reclassify disposed > > panels in order to streamline recycling, and in the state of Washington, > a > > law set to go into effect in coming years will require that panels be > > recycled. > > > > Among the most high-value materials in a crystalline silicon panel are > > metals. In particular, the silicon itself accounts for half the panel's > > cost, half its embodied energy and half its climate change footprint, > > according to the study. > > > > "Liberating" the silicon and other metals can be harder than one would > > suspect, said Heath, and can require energy inputs that raise new > > environmental questions. Plus, the manufacturing and operation of modules > > often creates impurities in the silicon, which would need to be > reprocessed > > before being repurposed into panels. And a dedicated recycling facility > > would have to do it cost-effectively and at scale — so far, a challenge > > that pilot-scale facilities in the U.S. haven't been able to meet. > > > > Heath and his co-authors included a list of possible areas where research > > and development should focus, including on the recovery of silicon, which > > could command an attractive resale price if its purity could be > maintained > > or recuperated after it's used in a panel. > > > > "Ultimately, all of these modules will reach the end of life at some > > point," said Heath. "When they do, we want to recover those materials and > > circulate them back into the economy." > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > -- > OK Don > > "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to > pause and reflect." Mark Twain > > “Basic research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I am doing.” > Wernher > Von Braun > 2013 F150, 18 mpg > 2017 Subaru Legacy, 30 mpg > 1957 C182A, 12 mpg - but at 150 mph! > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
