Sustainable Attainment of Solar E-waste Recycling Concerning to COVID-19 Crisis: A Review

Jariwala, Nidhi; Soni, Jaykumar

Solar energy is looked at as a critical component to fight against increased climate change. It is seen as the green solution for the increased demand in energy, but the problems that will occur after 20–30 years when these solar panels have to be disposed of are seldom considered. Due to increased growth in the development and utilization of solar energy resources, the disposal of waste solar panels has become problematic. Photovoltaic systems are in the lead because they are cost-effective, and it has increased efficiency. All these systems are expected to produce much e-waste by the end of their life cycle. Currently, the research is focused on how to increase the efficiency of solar panels rather than focusing on the disassembling and recycling of the panels. By recycling silicon-based solar panels, valuable metals within the panels can be recovered instead of lost to the landfill. Proper disposal of many compounds is not yet discovered; hence they are landfilled without any treatment, which causes harm to the environment. The environmental policies constrict market projections for Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Photovoltaic (PV) because Cadmium has Carcinogenic properties. This paper aims to review the present and upcoming or subsequent recycling technologies for solar panels and produce a recycling technology that is most sustainable and likely to be acquired in the coming years. Although these technologies require advanced techniques and enhanced improvement before execution, when all these progressive technologies are combined, they will provide better recycling options for the generated solar e-waste.