The International Energy Agency says the renewable energy revolution is happening much faster than expected even a year ago, with solar power is leading the way. But what happens to all those solar panels when they reach their end of life? A company in West Texas is in the business of refurbishing them.
Suvi Sharma’s company takes old solar panels and recycles the good parts into new solar panels. “Solar panels are made with several materials that are very valuable such as aluminum, silver, copper, glass, these materials we extract and can be extracted out of the panel and put back to make new products and new solar panels,” says Sharma.
Solar panels have the ability to last between 30 and 40 years, but Sharma says they usually only last around 20 years. “Solar panels can last for 30-40 years. Oftentimes they don’t always last that long, but they can last that long,” says Sharma. “But if you think about the solar panels, an electronic product, it’s sitting outside in any weather condition, snow, hail, wind, heat, you name it. You think about your cell phone, which is also an electronics product. Imagine leaving it outside for 10 years.”