{"id":260953,"date":"2023-06-06T15:58:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T13:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=260953"},"modified":"2023-06-06T15:58:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T13:58:08","slug":"solar-panels-the-unspoken-environmental-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=260953","title":{"rendered":"Solar Panels: The Unspoken Environmental Cost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-65602519<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For more than a decade, climate change skeptics have been sounding the alarm about the not-so-distant consequences of the global push for renewable energy, particularly solar panels. Their concerns, too often dismissed or overlooked, are now making headlines. A recent BBC podcast, \u201cThe Climate Question,\u201d raises serious issues about the lifespan and end-of-life management of solar panels<\/a>, issues that we have been echoing for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

While they are being promoted around the world as a crucial weapon in reducing carbon emissions, solar panels only have a lifespan of up to 25 years,https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-65602519<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Silver fragments recovered from solar panels, at the ROSI plant in Grenoble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

writes Daniel Gordon of BBC Sounds. That\u2019s a significant problem considering the sheer number of panels being installed worldwide. As Dr. Rong Deng states,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The world has installed more than one terawatt of solar capacity\u2026 there could be as many as 2.5 billion solar panels.https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-65602519<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, solar panels aren\u2019t eternal. And as they age, billions will eventually need to be disposed of and replaced, creating what Ute Collier, deputy director of the International Renewable Energy Agency, describes as a potential \u201cwaste mountain by 2050.\u201d In response to this emerging issue, Ms. Collier is calling for \u201curgent government action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the exciting boom period for solar panel installations, there\u2019s a pressing need to grapple with this oncoming wave of waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

By 2030, we think we\u2019re going to have four million tonnes [of scrap] \u2013 which is still manageable \u2013 but by 2050, we could end up with more than 200 million tonnes globally,https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-65602519<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

warns Ms. Collier. To put it in perspective, that\u2019s half the amount of plastic currently produced globally each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge of recycling these discarded panels is even more daunting. Traditional recycling methods, while able to recover most of the aluminum and glass, struggle to extract and reclaim the more precious materials, like silver and copper. According to Mr. Nicolas Defrenne, over 60% of the value of solar panels is contained in just 3% of their weight. However, these materials are intertwined with other components, making them economically challenging to separate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, there\u2019s simply not enough infrastructure to handle this kind of recycling demand. And with the first generation of solar panels nearing the end of their usable life, the clock is ticking. \u201cNow is the time to think about this,\u201d stresses Ms. Collier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initiatives like ROSI, the world\u2019s first factory fully dedicated to recycling solar panels, are emerging. These ventures, still in their infancy, provide hope that even if the onslaught of dubious solar farm installations continue, that it\u2019s not too late to turn this potential eco-disaster around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if one decides it is a good idea to transition away from fossil fuels, even if just to preserve them as resources for future generations, this story underscores the necessity for a balanced approach to our energy solutions \u2013 one that factors in not just immediate benefits, but also long-term environmental costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duh\u2026.Nuclear needs to be in the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HT\/redge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For more than a decade, climate change skeptics have been sounding the alarm about the not-so-distant consequences of the global push for renewable energy, particularly solar panels. Their concerns, too often dismissed or overlooked, are now making headlines. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":260961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818389,691819980,691820006,691818412],"class_list":{"0":"post-260953","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-bbc","9":"tag-eco-disaster","10":"tag-environmental-cost","11":"tag-solar-panels","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0dumped-solar-panels.webp?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-15SV","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":317462,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=317462","url_meta":{"origin":260953,"position":0},"title":"If Solar Panels Are So Clean, Why Do They Produce So Much Toxic Waste?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2016\u00a0estimated there was about 250,000 metric tonnes of solar panel waste in the world at the end of that year.\u00a0IRENA projected\u00a0that this amount could reach 78\u00a0million\u00a0metric tonnes by 2050.","rel":"","context":"In \"solar panels\"","block_context":{"text":"solar panels","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=solar-panels"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0gettyimages849056020-scaled-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0gettyimages849056020-scaled-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0gettyimages849056020-scaled-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0gettyimages849056020-scaled-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0gettyimages849056020-scaled-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":329453,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=329453","url_meta":{"origin":260953,"position":1},"title":"Biden China Tariffs Infuriate Climate Activists","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"18\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate change news seems to be taking the Chinese line on the tariff issue \u2013 but who expected anything different?","rel":"","context":"In \"Chinese solar panels\"","block_context":{"text":"Chinese solar panels","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=chinese-solar-panels"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0acadd2ac-6b06-4fe2-900b-a9b7f3634de1.jpg?fit=1200%2C815&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0acadd2ac-6b06-4fe2-900b-a9b7f3634de1.jpg?fit=1200%2C815&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0acadd2ac-6b06-4fe2-900b-a9b7f3634de1.jpg?fit=1200%2C815&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0acadd2ac-6b06-4fe2-900b-a9b7f3634de1.jpg?fit=1200%2C815&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0acadd2ac-6b06-4fe2-900b-a9b7f3634de1.jpg?fit=1200%2C815&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":301151,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=301151","url_meta":{"origin":260953,"position":2},"title":"Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes comments on world\u2019s biggest solar boondoggle","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Meet the new federal Western Solar Plan. 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