In recent years, with the rapid development of India’s solar energy industry, the issue of solar panel recycling has become increasingly prominent. Here is an overview of the relevant policies in India:
Draft Policies
- National Resource Efficiency Policy (Draft) 2019: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has proposed that the cost of take-back arrangements should be specified within the total installation cost. The government should design enforcement mechanisms for such contracts in tenders, programs or power purchase agreements. It also suggests treating solar PV waste as e-waste to provide a legal basis for waste management. Moreover, the government aims to establish four major authorized dismantling facilities by 2025 and double that number to eight by 2030, with a target of achieving an 85% material recovery rate from discarded PVs.
- Concept Note by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed that solar developers should follow glass recycling procedures for solar panels. Producers may be responsible for ensuring the recycling of discarded glass panels as part of their extended responsibilities. Generators may need to have facilities to safely dismantle old solar panels or cooperate with authorized dismantling facilities.
Other Related Considerations
- Classification of Solar Waste: Currently, India considers solar waste as a part of electronic waste and does not have a separate accounting system for it.
- Ongoing Discussions and Efforts: The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy are discussing component recycling issues, with some assistance from the European Union. There are also some small-scale private projects to build photovoltaic panel recycling plants.
However, it should be noted that according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), India does not yet have a robust policy in place for managing waste from used solar panels or the manufacturing process. The country is still in the process of formulating and improving relevant policies and regulations to better address the challenges of solar panel recycling.
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