How much does solar panel recycling cost?

Domestic solar panel recycling is completely free, all you need to do is contact your installer and they’ll do the rest. If you’re a business who wants to recycle your solar panels, there will likely be a charge. The cost of this will depend on the amount of solar panels you have, the type and the logistics.

Could a lot of solar panels end up on the scrap heap?

Tonnes of solar panels could end up on the scrap heap unless the Government acts now, experts have warned. There are around 25million solar panels in the UK and as 2.5billion globally.

What would happen if solar panels were not recycled?

If recycling processes were not implemented, 60 million tons of PV panel waste would lie in landfills by the year 2050; since all PV cells contain a certain amount of toxic substances, that would truly become a not-so-sustainable way of sourcing energy.

How many solar panels are recycled a year in the UK?

'It’s currently an expensive process, and there’s only one recycling centre in the UK that operates on an industrial scale – Recycle Solar, located in Scunthorpe, which recycles hundreds of solar panels per year. 'However, reaching this target is less important right now, because there aren’t many solar panels coming to the end of their lifespan.

How long do solar panels last?

While they can last longer, they might begin to degrade. According to Freyr Energy, your solar panels won’t necessarily need to be replaced after 25 years, but their ability to capture sunlight will be diminished. “Solar panels can generate electricity for another 10 or even 15 years after that,” the website says.

Does recycle solar recycle solar?

Recycle Solar doesn’t deal with all the defunct solar panels in the UK, as some are sent to a solar recycling point in south-eastern France that’s owned by utilities giant Veolia. How much does solar panel recycling cost? Domestic solar panel recycling is completely free, all you need to do is contact your installer and they’ll do the rest.