Solar panels that now serve as a meeting room

original: solar panel

Solar panels have been available since 1881, after the photovoltaic effect, the conversion of energy from the sun into electricity by a solar cell, was discovered in 1839.

Silicon is the most important component in most solar panels. Other components include glass, copper, aluminum, silver and polymers. Sometimes lead and tin are also processed. An average household in the Netherlands uses 3000 kWh of electricity per year. That is equivalent to the yield of 12 solar panels.

solar panels as an increasing waste stream

Solar panels are a huge waste stream. It is predicted that a global waste mountain of 60-78 million tons of panels will be created by 2050. Now solar panels often end up in landfills or incinerators, which can release toxic substances for people and the environment. Solar panels are not widely recycled. The solar cells are often packaged in a transparent adhesive layer for protection, but this makes effective recycling difficult. Other parts of the solar panels are easier to recycle, such as the glass and metal. However, the downcycling factor of the recycling process remains high.