Australia’s solar waste to reach 1.16 million tonnes by 2035

Large-scale projects will account for nearly 23% by then.

Solar panel waste in Australia is expected to reach 685,000 tonnes by 2030 and 1.157 million tonnes by 2035 amidst rapid solar energy adoption, according to the Australian Energy Council.

Citing a study by the University of New South Wales and the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, the council’s latest Solar Report said that “the early growth of the country’s residential solar market will see most of the waste come from residential solar panels.

“By 2035, the proportion of waste from large-scale solar projects will increase, accounting for 22.9% of the total waste, up from 9.8% in 2023, as panels from solar farms reach the end of their lifespan,” it added.

The largest waste volumes will come from major metropolitan areas in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, with these states contributing 79% of the nation's total end-of-life solar waste by 2035.

“The country is poised to experience a more concentrated surge in solar panel waste compared to nations with lower adoption rates. Rather than being seen as waste, solar panels could be regarded as valuable resources, with a typical 20-kg panel containing over $22.6 worth of recyclable materials,” the report read.

The report said that Australia can unlock a cumulative material value of $1b by 2035.