Disposing of photovoltaic panels

A photovoltaic panel is a device that converts sunlight into electrical energy. It consists of interconnected photovoltaic cells, the main component of which is silicon, a semiconductor mineral, widely found on earth. When photons of light strike the cells, they trigger the emission of electrons, generating a direct current. An inverter then converts this direct current into alternating current, which can be used in our homes. Energy produced in this way can power domestic appliances or be stored in batteries for use when there is no sunlight.
The average life of a photovoltaic panel is about 20/25 years; after this time, its efficiency decreases, although this does not necessarily mean that it needs to be replaced. When a system is decommissioned, it is necessary to take care of the disposal of the photovoltaic panels.

How much does it cost to dispose of a photovoltaic panel?

End-of-life photovoltaic panels are considered WEEE, i.e. 'Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment', and as such they must be disposed of following special procedures.

With regard to disposal costs, legislation* distinguishes between:

• Professional WEEE, when the panels come from installations with a rated output of 10 kW or more;

• Household WEEE, when the panels come from installations with a rated output of less than 10 kW.

In the case of household WEEE, it is the responsibility of the owner to deliver the panels to a recycling centre, but the costs are fully borne by the manufacturers. In the case of WEEE from professional installations, the watershed date is 12 April 2014. For systems installed after that date, the responsibility and costs of disposal are borne by the manufacturer.
On the other hand, when it comes to older photovoltaic systems, installed before 12 April 2014, the responsibility and costs of disposal are borne by the owner, unless they have chosen to use the Uno Contro Uno take-back programme, a mechanism that switches responsibility for the disposal of the previous system back to the manufacturer when a new system is purchased.
Photovoltaic panels purchased with the Conto Energia incentive (which is no longer applicable) are regulated differently. In this case, for both domestic and professional installations, the GSE retains a deposit for each module, which is only returned after the correct disposal of the panels.

*The legislation regulating the disposal of photovoltaic panels is Legislative Decree 49/2014 - in particular, Article 40 - which implements EU Directive 2012/19.

What happens to used photovoltaic panels?

End-of-life photovoltaic panels should be taken to a WEEE recycling centre. Information to find the appropriate Recycling Centre can be found on the website of the WEEE Coordination Centre.
The latest available technologies have made recycling photovoltaic panels very efficient. In fact, it is now possible to recover up to 98% of the weight of a panel. To give a practical example: a 21 kg photovoltaic panel can yield 15 kg of glass, almost 3 kg of plastic, 2 kg of aluminium, 1 kg of silicon powder and 10g of copper.
When they arrive at specialised processing centres, photovoltaic panels undergo treatments that also depend on the technology used to make them.
Basically, these are mechanical, thermal and chemical processes that serve to separate the different panel materials as much as possible, so that they can be recycled.