Hail-damaged solar panels may be landfill-bound due to unfeasible recycling.

A New Report Reveals the Fate of Damaged Solar Panels

A new report has shed light on the unfortunate destiny of many solar panels that were damaged in a recent hail storm. According to Cowboy State Daily, while some panels at the Scottsbluff Community Solar project in Nebraska will still be usable, a significant number will be too badly damaged to be salvaged.

The issue of solar panel disposal is not a new one. CBS reports that over 90 percent of damaged, defective, or outdated panels end up in landfills. By 2030, these discarded panels are projected to occupy an area equivalent to 3,000 football fields.

Solar panels destroyed by large hail north of Scottsbluff, Nebraska last night. #newx Photo Courtesy Matt Larsen #hail pic.twitter.com/2ND7BHmYlB

— Daryl Orr (@WxWyDaryl) June 27, 2023

In late June, a powerful thunderstorm unleashed baseball-sized hail at a speed of 150 mph, decimating a solar farm in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, in a matter of minutes. Cowboy State Daily reported that the storm originated in Wyoming and wreaked havoc on the neighboring state’s solar farm.

Kevin Spencer, the City Manager of Scottsbluff, expressed his dismay, stating, “Just by looking at it, it looks destroyed to me.”

The Challenge of Recycling Solar Panels

Recycling damaged or discarded solar panels is often not a viable option. Kevin Killough, writing for Cowboy State Daily, described the shattered panels as resembling “missing teeth in a white smile.” The low mineral content of solar panels makes recycling them impractical.

Solar panels cannot be recycled, nor can they be sent to landfill. Due to cadmium, lead, arsenic etc used in construction they are classed as hazardous waste. The compounds can leach into ground water & consequently have to be treated in a similar way to nuclear waste.

— david carey (@davidca73672059) July 9, 2023

Grant Otten, spokesperson for the Nebraska Public Power District, which owns the solar farm, stated that decisions regarding the damaged panels have not been finalized. The report highlights the environmental concerns associated with solar panel disposal, as the materials used in their construction, such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic, classify them as hazardous waste.

B.F. Randall, an expert on recycling materials from solar panels, explained that the panels contain very little mineral content, making traditional recycling methods ineffective. He also noted that the recovery of valuable materials, such as silver, is not feasible.

By the year 2050, if man is still alive, we will need to dispose of about 78 million tons of solar panels including 6 million tons of environmentally damaging photovoltaic waste. All in landfill… https://t.co/WtEw0g3kGY

— WitchEnd (@witchendaswas) July 7, 2023

Randall emphasized that the hazardous nature of the materials used in solar panels makes their disposal a significant challenge. He argued that the panels cannot be recycled in the traditional sense and that their disposal requires treatment similar to that of nuclear waste.

The fate of the damaged solar panels serves as a reminder of the environmental impact and challenges associated with renewable energy technologies. As the world continues to seek sustainable solutions, finding effective methods for the disposal and recycling of solar panels will be crucial.

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