Although the lifespan of solar panels is increasing, many that have been installed could only last for up to a few decades and could become a waste problem if they wind up in landfills.
There are also questions about whether the small amounts of toxic metals within them, such as lead, could be harmful to the environment. But so far, recycling them has been difficult and expensive.a way that could help solve that problem using a common household technology: the microwave.
The aluminum frame and glass, which typically make up about 85 percent of the total weight of a solar panel, also have value and can be recovered, he said. “Solar panels are improperly recycled,” he said. All the recoverable materials could probably be worth $11 or $12 per panel, he noted. “Just by extracting that glass intact, you are readily making solar panel recycling economically more viable,” he said.
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