India’s solar rise attracts global applause. The transformation still hides a growing environmental concern.
Over little more than a decade, India became the world’s third-largest solar power producer. Renewable energy now drives national climate ambitions. Solar panels stretch across giant parks and shimmer on rooftops nationwide.
Utility-scale parks deliver most solar capacity. Millions of rooftop systems also supply electricity to the grid. Government figures show almost 2.4 million households joined a subsidised rooftop scheme.
Solar growth reduced dependence on coal power. Thermal and other non-renewables still exceed half of installed capacity. Solar energy now delivers more than 20 percent. This success carries an unresolved consequence.
Green Energy, Grey Waste
Solar panels produce clean electricity while operating. Their disposal can harm the environment if ignored.
Panels consist mainly of glass, aluminium, silver, and polymers. They also include small amounts of hazardous metals. Lead and cadmium can contaminate land and water when mishandled.
Most panels operate for roughly 25 years. Owners then remove and discard them. India lacks a dedicated recycling budget. Only a few small plants currently process retired panels.
India offers no official data on solar waste. One estimate placed volumes near 100,000 tonnes by 2023. Projections suggest 600,000 tonnes by 2030. Experts say the real surge still lies ahead.
The Delayed Cost of Rapid Growth
Specialists warn of a future waste shock. Without fast investment, problems could multiply quickly.
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water published stark forecasts. India could generate over 11 million tonnes of solar waste by 2047. Handling this would require almost 300 recycling facilities. Investment needs could reach 478 million dollars.
Most large solar parks appeared during the mid-2010s. The main waste wave will arrive within 10 to 15 years, says Rohit Pahwa of Targray. Planning must begin immediately.
India’s outlook mirrors 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.
Rules Struggle to Keep Pace
Countries address solar waste through very different systems. Regulation often lags behind installation speed.
In the United States, recycling relies mostly on market forces. State rules create fragmented oversight. China, like India, continues to build 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 highlight gaps in household installations. Home systems represent five to ten percent of capacity. These units remain harder to track and collect. Their combined waste still matters.
Where Old Panels Go
Broken or unwanted panels often end up in landfills. Others flow through informal recycling networks. Unsafe methods can release toxic substances. Regulators have yet to offer detailed public responses.
Environmental expert Sai Bhaskar Reddy Nakka warns of a false sense of cleanliness. Solar power appears clean for two decades, he says. Without recycling, it may leave abandoned modules behind.
Challenges also open economic opportunities. Rising waste will boost demand for skilled 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 analysis highlights these benefits.
India already trades recycled glass and aluminium. Recycling can also recover silicon, silver, and copper. These materials can support 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 vanish or deliver minimal yields.
Choices That Will Define the Outcome
Experts say the next decade will shape 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 environmental burden.
