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18 Jun 2024

Dr Li Xiaodong from the SP Advanced Materials Technology Centre (AMTC), shared insights on the recycling and reuse of solar panels. He pointed out that most defective or discarded panels end up in landfills, where toxic substances like lead can leach into the groundwater, posing potential environmental hazards. Dr Li noted that over 90% of the materials in solar panels can actually be recycled. For example, the frames of solar panels can be reprocessed into aluminium frames, the silicon wafers can be recycled to manufacture new cells, and the glass and copper wires inside the panels can also be recovered. After spending 10 years on this research and gradually scaling it up from a laboratory setting, Dr Li's team is now collaborating with Sembcorp Industries to industrialise the project, aiming to recycle more solar panels.

[Lianhe Zaobao]