Solar Waste: The Looming Environmental Crisis Amidst India’s Renewable Energy Ambitions

The Bhadla Solar Park, located in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India, is a symbol of the country’s efforts to shift from coal to solar power and generate 450 gigawatts of renewable energy annually by 2030. Covering an area equivalent to over a thousand football stadiums or around 56 square kilometers, the park houses an estimated ten million solar panels. However, as the number of solar panels globally continues to increase, with an estimated 2.5 billion panels in use, the environmental impact of disposing of these panels is becoming a growing concern.

Despite the abundant sunshine in India and the current average lifespan of solar panels being 20-25 years, the issue of solar waste disposal is looming. In many countries, including the United States, there is a lack of comprehensive policies for managing solar waste, leading to issues with recycling and disposal. The metals and materials used in solar panel technology, such as silver, tellurium, indium, and zinc, can be difficult to recycle due to their low content in the panels. This could potentially lead to resource shortages in the future if proper recycling mechanisms are not put in place.

While some countries in the European Union have regulations for solar waste recycling, the practice is still relatively weak and only a small percentage of solar panels are recycled. As the use of solar panels continues to rise globally, there is an urgent need for more efficient recycling systems and practices to address the growing issue of solar waste. In Finland, where the use of solar power is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, implementing measures such as deposit systems could help alleviate