Renewable energy infrastructure, which the majority of is relatively new, will inevitably face decommissioning as it reaches the end of its lifespan. This reality is becoming evident in an unusual setting: a former pheasant hatchery in Canada, now home to thousands of damaged solar panels awaiting recycling.
The facility, managed by Sunset Renewable Asset Management, holds nearly 10,000 broken solar panels. The company is working to finding innovative solutions for the disposal and recycling of green energy technology, particularly by identifying financially viable methods to extract and reuse valuable minerals found in the panels.
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Experts project that by 2050, Canada alone could generate close to 5 million tons of waste from wind and solar infrastructure. According to a researcher from a University of Ottawa think tank, while renewable energy aims to combat climate change, it could create new environmental challenges without proper waste management strategies.
Companies like Sunset Renewable Asset Management are focusing on efficient recycling solutions for materials used in renewable infrastructure. The pheasant hatchery, with its large industrial building, serves as a solar panel “graveyard,” where efforts are underway to give the components a second life.
Although solar panels and wind turbines are up to 90% recyclable, the recycling process remains costly. For large-scale solar farms, recycling expenses can run into tens of millions of dollars, while dumping the materials in landfills would be nearly 90% cheaper. Similarly, decommissioning a single wind turbine can exceed half a million dollars in costs.
Both local and national governments are beginning to explore more comprehensive recycling systems for renewable energy technology. However, for now, the challenge of managing green energy waste is set to grow as the world continues its transition toward sustainable power sources.
Tags: Offshore wind farms, Recycling, Renewable energy, Solar panels, solar power, Wind energy, Wind farms
MOST RENEWABLE INFRASTRUCTURE IS FAIRLY NEW, BUT ALL WILL EVENTUALLY NEED TO BE DECOMISSIONED ONE DAY.
IT’S A LESSON BEING ILLUSTRATED IN AN UNLIKELY LOCATION.
A CANADIAN PHEASANT HATCHERY.
THE PLACE IS FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF DAMAGED SOLAR PANELS.
THIS COLLECTION OF ALMOST 10,000 PANELS IS THE WORK OF SUNSET RENEWABLE ASSET MANAGEMENT-
A COMPANY WORKING TO FIND NEW SOLUTIONS FOR THE DISPOSAL OF GREEN ENERGY TECH.
THEY’RE COLLECTING THESE BROKEN PANELS IN THE HOPES OF IDENTIFYING FINANCIALLY VIABLE METHODS OF EXTRACTING AND RE-USING THE VALUABLE CRITICAL MINERALS THEY CONTAIN.
EXPERTS PREDICT THAT BY 20-50, CANADA ALONE COULD BE DEALING WITH NEARLY 5 MILLION TONS WORTH OF WIND AND SOLAR POWER WASTE.
AS ONE RESEARCHER FROM A UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA THINK TANK PUT IT-
WE’RE CREATING OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WHILE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE PROBLEM.
WHICH IS WHERE COMPANIES LIKE RENEWABLE ASSET MANAGEMENT COME IN-
WORKING ON WAYS TO EFFICIENTLY RECYCLE THE MATERIALS USED TO MAKE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE COMPANY SETTLED ON USING A LARGE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING ONCE USED TO HOUSE PHEASANTS AS THE LOCATION OF THE SOLAR PANEL GRAVEYARD THEY AIM TO HELP FIND NEW LIFE.
WHILE BOTH SOLAR PANELS AND WIND TURBINES ARE AS MUCH AS 90 PERCENT RECYCLABLE ITS STILL AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
SOME LARGER SCALE SOLAR FARMS WILL COSTS TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO RECYCLE-
WHEN JUST DUMPING IN THEM IN A LANDFILL WOULD ACTUALLY BE ALMOST 90 PERCENT CHEAPER.
AND SOME ESTIMATES PUT THE COST OF DECOMMISSIONING JUST A SINGLE TURBINE AT OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS ARE DISCUSSING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE COHERENT RECYCLING SYSTEMS FOR THIS TECH.
BUT FOR NOW IT REMAINS A PROBLEM THAT WILL BECOME MORE PERSISTENT AS THE GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION CONTINUES.
JACK AYLMER – STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.
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