Solar Panel Waste: The Clean Energy Challenge No One’s Talking About
As the world sprints toward net-zero targets and embraces solar power at record-breaking speeds, a new challenge is rising quietly in the background—solar panel waste. Despite its reputation as a clean, green energy source, solar technology brings with it an end-of-life issue that is still largely misunderstood.
The good news? According to recent research and regulatory updates, this challenge is both manageable and solvable, as long as it is met with science-based policy and proactive planning.
Solar Waste: A Misunderstood Threat
Recent projections from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimate that by 2050, global photovoltaic (PV) module waste could reach between 54 million and 160 million metric tons. While this may sound like a lot, it's minor compared to other waste streams like plastics, e-waste, and coal ash. As Heather Mirletz of NREL put it, “We aren’t looking at a 'tsunami' of waste... It is manageable within our capabilities.”
The fear, however, has been significant enough to affect policy. In several counties across six U.S. states, solar project bans and moratoriums have been put in place based on outdated toxicity concerns, particularly with cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules.
How Toxic Are Solar Panels?
Modern solar panels are overwhelmingly made from crystalline silicon (97%) and CdTe (3%). Crystalline silicon panels, the market standard, consist mostly of glass, aluminum, silicon, and polymers, with trace elements of copper, silver, tin, and less than 0.1% lead. CdTe panels contain even smaller amounts of cadmium, as low as 0.008% in newer models.
These levels are far below environmental hazard thresholds. However, miscommunication and reliance on outdated data, from studies as far back as the 1970s, have fueled public misunderstanding.
“If we thought that solar panels would cause active harm to the environment,” says NREL’s Mirletz, “we wouldn’t have them on our roofs.”
EPA Steps In: Strengthening Waste Management
To address growing concerns and promote responsible disposal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action. In a recent announcement, the EPA revealed plans to add solar panels to its “universal waste” regulations under Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 273.
What does this mean?
- Municipal and corporate burdens are lessened through the solar panel streamlining, and disposal will incur less red tape.
- Encouraged development of recycling programs at both state and local levels is supported under this classification tier.
- Decreased administrative burden within the new guidelines does not compromise protective measures under the RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). Protections are still maintained for hazardous materials such as lead and other metals when present in quantities deemed dangerous.
The EPA justifies easier disposal processes by the logic of cutting red tape by stretching the volume of recycling done and the amount sent to landfills, two urgencies stated as needs within the growing solar market.
Why Universal Waste Rules are Important
Certain hazardous wastes considered ubiquitous and generated in high volume get the universal waste designation. These also need to be simplified in handling to boost their recycling, like batteries or fluorescent bulbs. By adding solar panels to this category, the EPA enables:
- A defined level per state for disposal and collection.
- Increased cost revenues from servicing for handlers and recyclers.
- Improved earnings from the deconstruction of products, especially those precious and scarce, from the waste.
This was partially off the back of a 2021 petition by a coalition of electric utility companies and other energy-focused business groups that urged the agency to develop clear guidelines at a national standard
Solar Waste vs. Decarbonization: A False Choice
Critics often position solar panel waste as a dealbreaker in clean energy adoption. But experts at both NREL and the EPA argue the opposite.
Teresa Barnes, director of NREL’s DuraMAT Consortium, said it best:
“We will have less waste from PV than we do from traditional fossil sources of electricity, and it’s less toxic than some of the other fossil energy waste.”
EPA supports this view. The agency states that solar panels are safe when used and maintained appropriately, and that adding them to the universal waste list will promote recycling while maintaining strong environmental standards.
Building a Circular Solar Economy
In parallel with regulatory changes, the solar industry is pushing for circular economy strategies—designing products to last longer, be easier to repair, and simpler to recycle.
The NREL Circularity Workshop held in March 2024 emphasized:
- Durable module design to reduce the volume of replacements
- Material innovation to reduce the use of scarce or hazardous elements
- End-of-life planning during the manufacturing phase
As Silvana Ovaitt, an NREL researcher, put it:
“We need to move beyond recycling as the default circularity path—to more actionable sustainability paths and systems.”
Looking Ahead: Smarter Solar Growth
With the right systems in place, solar waste can be transformed from a liability into an opportunity. Proper disposal not only reduces landfill pressure, it also recovers critical minerals that would otherwise require energy-intensive mining.
EPA’s initiative is timely and aligned with national climate goals. As solar panel deployment accelerates, supporting infrastructure and policy must scale in parallel. That means:
- Fact-based regulations
- Investment in recycling tech
- Public education to combat misinformation
Solar panels are not perfect, but they remain one of the cleanest, most sustainable energy technologies available today. Their waste challenge is real, but not insurmountable—and certainly not a reason to delay our clean energy transition.
References
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “Photovoltaic Toxicity and Waste Concerns Are Overblown, Slowing Decarbonization
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Improving Recycling and Management of Renewable Energy Wastes: Universal Waste Regulations for Solar Panels and Lithium Batteries”