YouTuber Matt Ferrell explores some of today’s most pressing issues in science and technology and especially clean energy. You may remember this clip where he discusses whether solar panels will be worth it after four years and this video where he explains the breakthrough that allows electric vehicles to charge in minutes.
In his latest video, he answers the question of what happens to solar panels at the end of their lifecycle. You might not think about it when shopping for eco-friendly devices, but solar panels are not recyclable.
This means that at the end of their use they generate a large amount of waste. This raises the question, then: how conscious are they of the nature of an investment?
The good news is that they can be recycled, the process is just complicated. Since their life span only lasts 30 to 40 years, this can be a process worth considering.
So what is the process for recycling solar panels? Why is it so complicated? Are we making new developments that will make it easier? Why don’t manufacturers focus on making easily recyclable panels? What is the future of solar panel technology? This video answers all these questions and more.