According to Garvin Heath, a senior scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it currently costs $20 to $30 to recycle a single solar panel, compared to $1 to $2 to send it to a landfill.
As we reach the end of this comprehensive guide to solar panel recycling cost, let's recap the key points of this article: The average cost of solar panel recycling can vary between $10 and above $40 per panel, influenced by many different factors such as panel type, location, technology/method used, and others.
Currently, the average cost for landfill disposal can range from $5 to $20 per solar panel and can go as low as $1/panel. At first glance, this makes landfilling solar panels seem like a cheaper alternative, but we also need to consider the environmental implications and the long-term overall cost of solar panel recycling.
To dispose of a solar panel, first keep it somewhere dry and wrap it up to avoid damage. An old blanket is ideal for this. Then, carefully place the solar panel in your trunk when you have made arrangements with a solar recycling company to avoid any damage during transport.
This is why the thermal recycling process is typically considered the least favorable method for recycling solar panels. Also known as hydrometallurgical recycling, this method involves the use of chemical substances to help dissolve the materials that made up the solar panels, separating them into their basic elements.
The cost of reagents for the recycling waste PV panels amounts to 290.23 USD. Regarding wastewater, recycling one tonne of waste PV panels generates around 1.0 m 3 wastewater. Presently, the cost for disposal wastewater is 10–25 USD per m 3.
What is solar panel recycling?
Solar panel recycling is still at an early stage, but as the renewable energy market continues to expand, recycling processes will play an increasingly important role. As panels end their usable lifetime, panel waste will pile up. There are three broad types of solar panel recycling: re-use, mechanical, and chemical/thermal.