China is facing a recycling challenge and environmental strain caused by large numbers of end-of-life solar panels after a decade of rapid photovoltaic (PV) industry expansion.
Over the years, China has been scrambling to increase its PV production and ignoring uneven adherence to technology standards. As a result, massive numbers of solar panels become out-of-service before expected, Fang Qi, an investment consultant living in the United Kingdom, told The Epoch Times on April 4.
Recycling solar panels has become an increasingly pressing issue in China, said Fang, citing that the scrapping rate of PV panels has reached about 30 percent per year.
Construction workers install solar panels at Hami Solar Power Station on Aug. 22, 2011, in Hami, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
By 2030, China’s PV module waste is predicted to reach about 18 GW and 1.4 million tons, while by 2040, the number will soar to 253 GW, “about 20 million tons,” said Liu Limin, deputy secretary of the PV specialized committee of China ECOPV Alliance, on March 17 at the Tenth Guangdong PV Forum….
