9 Sustainable Attainment of Solar E-waste …
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9.4 Result and Discussion
9.4.1 Economic Benefits of Recycling
“A research carried out in 2016 by the International Renewable Energy Agency
(IRENA) along with the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that the recycling
panel would represent an opportunity of approximately $ 15 billion by 2050 [20]
(Fig. 9.6).
IRENA has projected that global PV panel waste could reach as high as 78 million
tons in just about three decades. This waste, which consists primarily of glass, may
be a goldmine for recovery of raw materials. Recycling has the ability to generate
thousands of jobs for employees, in addition to the economic value of the content and
people included in the process, and also for the new industries focused on utilizing
Fig. 9.6 Potential value
creation of materials in the
coming decades”
CumulaƟve PV Capacity:
1,600 GW
PV panel waste:
1.7-8 million tonnes
Value :
USD 450 million for raw
material recovery
New Industries and
Employment
Life cycle:
Raw material recovered
to produce 60 million
new panels (equivalent
to 18 GW)
CumulaƟve PV Capacity:
4,500 GW
PV panel waste:
60-78 million tonnes
Value :
USD 15 billion for raw
material recovery
New Industries and
Employment
Life cycle:
Raw material recovered
to produce
2 billion new panels
(equivalent to 630 GW)
2030
2050