Solar energy has become a major source of renewable energy used for generating electricity. More and more industries, households, and other establishments start to rely on Solar energy as a substitute for electricity.
Photovoltaic panels are the panels that are being used in the process of absorbing the sun’s energy directly and converting them into energy used by these establishments. These panels are a boon in absorbing clean energy but they come with a catch. They are very difficult to dispose of and recycle.
As the need for these panels increase it is estimated that disposing of them once their lifespan is at an end is going to be difficult. It is said that by around 2050 the solar e gut is going to come and if by then we don’t find an effective way of disposing of them our world will be full of solar waste which can prove harmful for us. The IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) estimates more than 75 million metric tons of photovoltaic panels would have come to an end of their life cycle. To deal with such a high amount of waste will be challenging as the standard tactics of e-waste disposal won’t work on them.
Recycling them will be a hectic process as removing valuable parts like silver will be difficult as their sheer numbers itself will make things difficult.
If we don’t come up with an option soon it will be disposed of in landfills which will be harmful as it contains toxins like lead which will harm the land. Also, valuable resources used in its making will be wasted.
The lifespan of a solar panel is at the tops 25 years. So, the consumption of these panels will be never-ending as the old ones get disposed of, new ones will replace them and the cycle will be never-ending. These panels will take a long period of time to decompose which makes things worse for us.
So, now the question arises as to whether it is worth buying and using these panels as down the lane, they can prove to be a problem.
Well, the answer is simple, yes, it is still worth buying these panels as they take a load off of non-renewable energy sources that we use. It is also a clean form of energy which reduces global warming and other forms of pollution. In the long run, we will have to come up with an effective way of disposing of these wastes. Other than that, everything else regarding this form of energy is good.
The solar industry is still in its infancy and with the help of science we are still working to make things better for the use of this energy (like increasing its life span, using better materials, etc.) We can rest assured that we will be able to come up with a good way of disposing of them by the time the panels start dying out.
Image credit: indiamart.com
Article source: wired.com
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