University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Looking Ahead at Solar Panel Recycling in Illinois

Holm, Nancy; Martin, Jennifer

Content Files
20180906-Holm-Martin.pdf
20180906 Looking Ahead at Solar Panel Recycling in Illinois.wmv

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/106933

Description

Title
Looking Ahead at Solar Panel Recycling in Illinois
Author(s)
  • Holm, Nancy
  • Martin, Jennifer
Issue Date
2018-09-06
Keyword(s)
  • solar energy
  • solar panel recycling
Date of Ingest
2020-04-21T18:42:21Z
Abstract
Nancy Holm, Assistant Director, and Jennifer Martin, Environmental Program Development Specialist, both from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The new Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act which went into effect on June 1, 2017, now requires an updated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in Illinois. This new RPS directs that solar energy use be expanded across the state, increasing Illinois’ solar capacity from about 75 MW to about 2,700 MW by 2030. With these new requirements for increased solar installations, there will be a critical need to examine the disposal and recycling or repurposing of used and broken solar panels to ensure protection of the environment and also to explore the economic benefits of recycling/repurposing solar panels in the state. As the solar energy industry continues to grow in the state as well as nationally and globally, there is a looming waste management issue at the end-of-life of these panels. The design life of a solar panel is roughly 20 - 30 years. Given this, it is estimated that there will be a surge in solar panel disposal in the early 2030s, and by 2050, there will be 60 to 78 million cumulative tons of solar panel waste globally. Some countries, particularly in Europe, have established recycling networks. However, in the U.S. we are just beginning to develop a network of recyclers and, as yet, there is not a strong recycling infrastructure in place in Illinois. These used or broken solar panels should be properly recycled to prevent toxic compounds from leaching into the environment, as well as to avoid disposal of valuable and finite resources into landfills. ISTC is working with the IL EPA, Solar Energy Industry Association, IL Solar Energy Association, and other entities to create awareness around these issues, as well as establish the necessary policy and standards required to build a network of solar panel recyclers in Illinois. Details on solar panel waste and recycling will be discussed in this presentation.
Series/Report Name or Number
Sustainable Seminar Series
Type of Resource
  • text
  • still image
Genre of Resource
presentation/lecture/speech
Language
en
Permalink
  • https://youtu.be/dLb7y2BkMnk
  • http://hdl.handle.net/2142/106933

Owning Collections

ISTC Sustainability Seminar Series PRIMARY