Australia is at the forefront of the global solar revolution but now it is staring down a new challenge that will soon hit other nations—the growing mountain of solar panel waste.
Trade body the Australian Energy Council, has been investigating the issue and has found a massive challenge lies ahead for Australia and the rest of the world.
With millions of panels installed over the past two decades now reaching the end of their lifespan, the country is bracing for a surge in discarded solar technology that could overwhelm landfill sites unless urgent action is taken.
The scale of the problem is staggering:
This year alone Australia is expected to generate 280,000 tonnes of end-of-life solar panels and by 2030 that figure will balloon to 685,000 tonnes. By 2035 it could surpass 1.1 million tonnes.
Initially most of this waste will come from residential solar systems but by the mid-2030s large-scale solar farms will contribute a far greater share.
For years the assumption was that solar waste would not become a serious issue until after 2030 but new research suggests the crisis is coming much sooner.
Cities like Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth and Adelaide, are already seeing rising volumes of decommissioned panels – and as regional solar farms reach the end of their operational life waste levels will skyrocket across remote areas too.
Recycling lagging behind
Recycling could be the answer but right now it is not happening fast enough.
While solar panels contain valuable materials like aluminium glass silicon silver and copper recycling them is expensive and inefficient.
It costs between $10 and $20 ( £4-9) per panel to recycle compared to just $2(90p) to dump them in landfill.
That financial gap means that many businesses and homeowners opt for the cheaper and easier option—piling up waste rather than recovering materials.
Queensland opened its first dedicated solar panel recycling plant in 2024 with the capacity to process 240,000 panels a year. Yet even with that facility in operation around 800,000 panels could still end up in landfill in the state alone.
Other states are grappling with the same issue and without a rapid expansion of recycling capacity the situation will only get worse.
Australia currently has two main recycling methods. The first is mechanical delamination which breaks panels down into bulk materials that are then sent to other facilities for further processing.
The second and still developing method involves full material recovery facilities designed specifically for solar panel recycling. These offer higher recovery rates and could make recycling more financially viable but they are not yet widespread enough to make a real dent in the problem.
The Australian government is scrambling to address the issue. The Department of Climate Change Energy the Environment and Water is working on expanding the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme to include solar panels by 2025.
The plan will require manufacturers importers and suppliers to take responsibility for recycling old panels, reducing landfill waste and encouraging a circular economy where materials are reused rather than discarded.
Money to be made
There is huge economic potential in turning solar waste into a resource rather than a problem.
A typical 20kg panel contains around $22 (£10.8) worth of recoverable materials and by 2035, the total material value locked in Australia’s discarded solar panels could hit $1 billion (£500m).
If recycling costs can be brought down and more efficient recovery methods developed, the solar waste crisis could transform into a lucrative opportunity for the industry.
But that will require significant investment. Australia’s vast distances and scattered population make collecting and transporting waste a logistical nightmare.
Without proper infrastructure in place panels will continue to be dumped rather than recycled. More localised recycling solutions combined with incentives for consumers and businesses to participate in the process will be critical.
Lessons for everyone
The rest of the world should take note. Solar waste is not just an Australian problem—it is a global ticking time bomb
Australian Energy Council
Countries that have embraced solar energy as a key tool in their transition to clean power will soon face the same challenges.
Without clear strategies for dealing with ageing panels they too could be overwhelmed by a flood of electronic waste that undermines the very sustainability goals solar power was meant to achieve.
Australia is now on the front line of this challenge and how it handles the coming solar waste crisis could set a precedent for the rest of the world.
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