End-of-life solar photovoltaic e-waste assessment in India: a step towards a circular economy

In the recent past, technological advances in the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector have accelerated, leading to managerial problems for the end-of-life (EOL) disposal of solar photovoltaic e-waste. Developed countries have initiated management systems while India is presently in the photovoltaic panel installation stage, with no concrete strategy to manage the resulting e-waste. This study undertakes an assessment of the magnitude of the issue in India, using a forecasting model that projects the amount of waste generated by EOL solar PV panels and its balance of system (BOS) using Weibull reliability function for panel failure. The study also estimates the amount of raw material recovered after recycling to contribute to the circular economy of EOL PV. In the study, an empirical estimation shows that solar PV installations in India will generate 347.5 GW by 2030. The model evaluates that between 2020 and 2047, about 2.95 billion tonnes of e-waste will be generated in India from solar PV systems, including critical metals worth 645 trillion USD, of which 70% (worth 452 trillion USD) can be recovered using state-of-the-art recycling technology. The present study sheds light on maximizing resource efficiency, by creating facilities for a circular economy-based supply chain to handle the massive e-waste generated by solar PV panels in India. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Recent technological advances in the solar photovoltaic sector have led to challenges in managing end-of-life disposal of e-waste in India, where there is currently no concrete strategy in place. A study has projected the amount of waste generated by solar PV systems in India by 2030 and estimated the recovery of raw materials to promote a circular economy for EOL PV.