Nazar Rubab, Qayyum Rabia, Baqar Mujtaba, Tabassum Muhammad Rizwan, Nizami Abdul-Sattar
Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Mar;31(12):17760-17777. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29094-4. Epub 2023 Aug 30.
The share of solar energy in the energy mix has become a major concern, and the global effort is to increase its contribution. Photovoltaic technology is an environment-friendly way of electricity production compared to fossil fuels. Currently, third generation of solar cells with a maximum average conversion efficiency of 20% has been achieved. Asia is an emerging market for photovoltaic technology, and it has recorded the highest installation capacity for 2018 (280 MW), 2030 (1860 MW), and 2050 (4837 MW). Meanwhile, Asia is estimated to be the highest producer of PV waste by 2040, with 5,580,000 metric tons of waste volume. Solid waste management is already a big environmental issue in South Asian countries, and untested landfilling of solar cells can further increase the burden. This review emphasizes the end-of-life scenario of solar cells in developing South Asian countries. Solar cell waste is hazardous e-waste that can lead to environmental and health impacts if not managed properly. It consists of metals with market value, which can be waste or gold, depending on its management. The study finds that recycling is the economically and environmentally effective waste management option for solar cells in South Asia. This paper reviews the deficiencies in the existing solar cell waste management framework in South Asian countries. Moreover, practical implications are presented for designing an effective waste management plan for solar cells in South Asian countries. Strong legislation, sufficient recycling infrastructure, and high stakeholders' interests are required to resolve this environmental concern.
太阳能在能源结构中的占比已成为一个主要关注点，全球都在努力增加其贡献。与化石燃料相比，光伏技术是一种环保的发电方式。目前，已实现了第三代太阳能电池，其最大平均转换效率为20%。亚洲是光伏技术的新兴市场，在2018年（280兆瓦）、2030年（1860兆瓦）和2050年（4837兆瓦）的装机容量均位居全球之首。与此同时，预计到2040年亚洲将成为光伏废弃物的最大产生地，废弃物量达558万吨。固体废弃物管理在南亚国家已然是一个重大的环境问题，未经测试的太阳能电池填埋会进一步加重负担。本综述着重探讨南亚发展中国家太阳能电池的报废情况。太阳能电池废弃物是有害电子废弃物，如果管理不当会对环境和健康造成影响。它含有具有市场价值的金属，根据管理方式的不同，可能是废料也可能是黄金。研究发现，回收利用是南亚太阳能电池在经济和环境方面都有效的废弃物管理选择。本文回顾了南亚国家现有太阳能电池废弃物管理框架中的不足之处。此外，还针对设计南亚国家有效的太阳能电池废弃物管理计划提出了实际建议。需要强有力的立法、充足的回收基础设施以及利益相关者的高度关注来解决这一环境问题。
