There’s a looming problem with tons of waste solar panels. These panels typically last about 30 years. Around 8 million metric tons of them will reach the end of their lives by 2030. That number will go up to 80 million metric tons by 2050.
But a new technique could make silicon solar panels easier to recycle and less expensive to manufacture than using high-temperature furnaces, by using a kitchen microwave instead.
Most solar panels today are made of silicon. During their manufacture, the silicon is heated at temperatures above 900°C in a furnace to change its properties, burning a lot of energy and increasing cost. Zapping silicon in microwave ovens instead would not only be faster and more energy efficient, it makes the panels easier to recycle.
www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2023/04/the-surprising-appliance-that-could-make-solar-panels-easier-to-produce-and-recycle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=microwaves-the-surprising-tool-for-easy-cheap-solar-cell-manufacture-and-recycling