Name: Busted solar panels are an early example of a looming problem
Uploaded: 2024-10-17T14:09:49.742Z
Duration: 2 min 21 s
Description: According to the Smart Prosperity Institute, by 2050 the country will be dealing with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unusable solar panels and wind turbine blades. Some businesses are looking at this looming source of waste with dollar signs in their eyes.

According to the Smart Prosperity Institute, by 2050 the country will be dealing with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unusable solar panels and wind turbine blades. Some businesses are looking at this looming source of waste with dollar signs in their eyes.

Alberta

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Climate Crisis

The rise of renewable energy sources in Canada, particularly solar panels and wind turbines, is presenting new environmental challenges as these technologies reach the end of their operational lifespan. These renewable energy solutions, while instrumental in reducing carbon footprints, are creating a new waste management dilemma. This issue is underscored by the presence of thousands of obsolete solar panels stored in warehouses, awaiting disposal solutions. 

Dan Karoche, an experienced installer of renewable energy infrastructure, is focusing on the dismantling and recycling of inoperative solar panels and wind turbine components. His initiative highlights the urgent need for waste management systems to accommodate the growing waste stream from renewable energy infrastructure. Several Canadian provinces are beginning to consider integration of such materials into existing recycling frameworks, but comprehensive programs remain scarce.

Forecasts from the University of Ottawa's Smart Prosperity Institute indicate that by 2050, Canada may be confronted with approximately 365,000 tons of solar panel waste and 4.5 million tons of wind turbine waste. The transition to renewable energy sources, while critical for addressing climate change, risks introducing additional environmental challenges. Businesses eyeing this issue see an opportunity in recycling the valuable materials within these structures, projecting potential economic benefits as the volume of waste increases. Karoche is pushing forward with plans to establish a recycling facility soon, aiming to address what he views as a pressing environmental need.



Busted solar panels are an early example of a looming problem

The installation of wind and solar energy is on the rise in Canada and as this country aims to hit its net zero targets. But as Paula Duhacek explains, all of the new solar panels and the wind turbines you see in the country are raising questions about what to do with them when they reach the end of their lifespan. This panel is no longer useful. Inside this warehouse are thousands and thousands of old busted up solar panels. I call it the big green elephant of renewable energy is the waste material. Dan Karoche has spent years installing renewable energy infrastructure. His new venture, figuring out how to dismantle and recycle it when it doesn't work anymore. Renewable energy is a new waste stream. We need to get future ready in order to manage that waste so it doesn't end up in landfills or orphaned. Some provinces are mulling how to bring these materials into their recycling systems but coordinated programs and facilities are rare. That has some companies thinking about how to turn that trash into treasure. I think companies that are thinking about recycling now and thinking about what opportunity they can get from the reuse of the steel and the copper and the precious metals in these projects are really going to be in boom times in 20 years or so when these projects come to the end of their lifespan here. According to the University of Ottawa's Smart Prosperity Institute, by 2050 the country will be dealing with at least 365,000 tons of expired solar panel waste and 4.5 million tons of waste from wind turbines. And what we're doing is we're creating other environmental problems while trying to address the climate problem. We need to move fast on climate but we need to make sure we're not creating additional problems along the side of it. What you can see here is just a fraction of what we've collected from various projects. As for Dan Karoche, he's not waiting around. The underlying message that we've gotten from everybody is that it's too early for renewable energy waste recycling but as you can see it's definitely not too early. We are behind the times. We need to get future ready. He hopes to have a recycling facility up and running by the end of the year. Paula Duhacek, CBC News, Brooks, Alberta.

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