Victoria E-Waste Ban: Solar Panel Upcycling | ElecSome

With respect to the e-waste ban which prevents solar panels entering landfill in Victoria, effective July 2019. All I can say is ElecSome you beauty!

Cheers to being the first Aussie company to upcycle solar panels and to your world-first SolarCrete achievement! With CRC research partners like The University of Melbourne, RMIT University, and Cement Australia, it's clear why you're reaching such significant milestones.

SolarCrete is sand derived from discarded solar panel glass.

Boral Limited ("Boral") has trialed recycled sand for concrete using crushed glass from end-of-life and damaged solar panels, for a major transport project in Melbourne, results so far have been excellent.

Boral sourced the glass from ElecSome, the glass was crushed and processed at Elecsome’s facility, then blended with up to 50 per cent natural sand.

This is particularly important given the environmental impact of sand mining, where the UNEP estimates that 50 billion tons of sand is used each year, making it the second-most exploited resource after water.

Although sand seems abundant, the specific types suitable for construction are being used faster than natural replenishment rates in certain areas. Sand mining can also be damaging to ecosystems.

Recycling solar panels not only prevents them from ending up in landfills but also provides valuable raw materials. Rystad Energy projected in 2023 that this could be worth approximately AU$118 billion (80 billion USD) by 2050.

ElecSomes facilities are processing solar panels with an impressive 97% upcycling efficiency.

Their process:

• Segregating materials from solar panels and using the silica to create SolarCrete - a fine aggregate mix used in construction, utilizing patented technology.

• Mining silicon wafers for reuse as PV/Battery grade Silicon.

• Reusing electric conductors in electrical appliances.

• Reusing and distributing high-value silver and copper as raw materials for other industries.

• Repurposing aluminum frames for cans and other solar panel frames.

• Ensuring plastics and polymers enter established sustainable recycling channels.

I am one proud Aussie to see Australia leading the way in developing an environmentally friendly process for upcycling and recycling solar panels!

Is your solar PV system due for replacement? Do you have damaged solar panels?

Rest assured, K.A.W Electrical & Solar is committed to giving them a great new lease of life!

Cheers, Kirk

For more information, you might find the below websites interesting:

https://www.elecsome.com/our-process.php

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-glass-sand-mb3120/