India’s solar rise attracts widespread acclaim. The transition still hides a growing environmental challenge.
In little more than a decade, India became the world’s third-largest solar power producer. Renewable energy now shapes national climate strategy. Solar panels cover vast parks and spread across rooftops nationwide.
Large utility-scale projects deliver most solar electricity. Millions of rooftop systems also feed power into the grid. Government data show nearly 2.4 million households adopted subsidised solar systems.
Solar expansion reduced dependence on coal-fired generation. Thermal and other non-renewables still exceed half of installed capacity. Solar power now supplies more than 20 percent. This success carries an unresolved cost.
Clean Electricity, Unclean End
Solar panels generate clean electricity during operation. Their disposal can damage the environment without safeguards.
Manufacturers build panels from glass, aluminium, silver, and polymers. Panels also contain small amounts of hazardous metals. Lead and cadmium can pollute soil and water if mishandled.
Most solar panels operate for about 25 years. Owners then remove and discard them. India has no dedicated budget for solar recycling. Only a few small facilities process retired panels today.
India provides no official data on solar waste volumes. One estimate placed waste near 100,000 tonnes by 2023. Volumes could reach 600,000 tonnes by 2030. Experts warn the largest surge still lies ahead.
The Waste Curve Yet to Peak
Specialists caution that waste pressures will intensify later. Without early investment, systems may struggle to cope.
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water released stark projections. India could generate more than 11 million tonnes of solar waste by 2047. Managing this would require nearly 300 recycling facilities. Investment needs could reach 478 million dollars.
Most large solar parks emerged during the mid-2010s. The main waste wave will arrive in 10 to 15 years, says Rohit Pahwa of Targray. Planning must start now.
India’s outlook reflects global trends. The United States could generate between 170,000 and one million tonnes by 2030. China could approach one million tonnes after similar expansion.
Regulation Trails Rapid Growth
Countries manage solar waste through very different systems. Policy often lags behind installation speed.
In the United States, recycling relies largely on market forces. State-level rules create fragmented oversight. China, like India, continues to develop its framework. Both lack fully mature national systems.
India placed solar panels under electronic waste rules in 2022. The policy assigns end-of-life responsibility to manufacturers. Companies must collect, dismantle, and recycle panels. Enforcement remains uneven.
Experts point to gaps in household installations. Home systems represent five to ten percent of capacity. These units remain difficult to track and collect. Their combined waste still matters.
From Energy Asset to Waste Stream
Broken or unwanted panels often end up in landfills. Others move through informal recycling networks. Unsafe methods can release toxic substances. Authorities have yet to issue detailed public responses.
Environmental expert Sai Bhaskar Reddy Nakka warns against misplaced confidence. Solar power looks clean for two decades, he says. Without recycling, it risks leaving abandoned modules behind.
Challenges also create economic opportunity. Rising waste will increase demand for specialised recycling firms, Pahwa says.
Efficient recycling could recover 38 percent of materials by 2047. It could also prevent 37 million tonnes of emissions from mining. The CEEW study highlights these gains.
India already supports markets for recycled glass and aluminium. Recycling can also recover silicon, silver, and copper. These materials can serve new panels or other industries, says study co-author Akansha Tyagi.
Current recycling practices remain basic. Operators focus on low-value materials. Precious metals often disappear or yield minimal returns.
A Decade That Will Decide
Experts say the next ten years will define India’s solar legacy. The country must build a regulated recycling system. Public awareness must increase. Waste collection must enter solar business models.
Companies profiting from solar power should manage panels after failure, Nakka argues. Responsibility should not end at installation.
Without proper recycling, today’s clean energy could become tomorrow’s waste problem.
