2050 UK Choice: 1.2M Tons of Solar Waste or USD 2 Billion in Resources?

The National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) program says in a report titled "From Linear to Circular: Evidence from the UK solar sector" that by the end of 2023, the growth of the UK solar industry will result in approximately 152523 tons of aluminum, 8745 tons of copper, and 667947 tons of glass materials embedded in UK solar installations; By 2050, the UK solar industry may generate 1.2 million tons of waste. The report calls for the UK solar industry to begin implementing circular economy measures to ensure the country achieves its net zero targets.

The co-author of the report, Ananda Nidhi, stated that the UK solar industry can adopt circular economy principles to address the approximately 1.2 million tons of solar waste that could be generated by 2050 by using aluminum, copper, and silver worth over $2 billion. Moreover, the circular economy may also stimulate economic growth by creating new job opportunities and promoting the development of repair, refurbishment and recycling sectors.

NICER pointed out that achieving a circular solar energy industry faces major obstacles such as a lack of end-of-life policies, design limitations, and data gaps. NICER believes that stakeholders should adopt halogen and lead-free designs, invest in recycling infrastructure, exclude solar panels from WEEE regulations, and enable second-life use for products within the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

 The circular process required by the WEEE regulations