Solar Power Key To Energy Transition, But Waste And Lack Of Circularity Are Roadblocks

With media reports saying AC sales will witness double-digit growth in 2024, a steep hike in power consumption lies ahead. Unlike in China and Japan where AC temperatures are capped at 24-25 degrees C, Indians need to get over the 18-20 C here to ensure greater efficiencies and conserve power.

Almost 57 per cent of India’s power demands, according to Power Ministry data, are met by fossil fuel with non-fossil fuel or renewable power contributing 43 per cent. There is little doubt that power demand will increase dramatically in the coming years. Therefore, as part of the decarbonisation plan, India has committed itself to ambitious targets for renewable energy.

The country’s green energy transition efforts have made substantial headway on the back of government policy and initiatives. The 2024-25 Interim Budget allocated Rs 10,000 crore to solar power grid projects, a 110 per cent increase from the previous year's revised estimate of Rs 4,757 crore.

Solar power is one of the leading drivers in this green energy transition plan. As of May 31, solar capacity accounted for 16 per cent of the mix with an installed generation capacity of 67,078 MW. 

Invest India notes that the installed solar energy capacity has increased 30 times over the last nine years and stands at around 76 GW (1 GigaWatt is equal to 1000 MegaWatts) as of February 2024. 

Contextualising the solar power vision into the politics of election manifestos of the BJP and its principal opposition, the Congress, it is evident that both have an objective to increase solar power capacity and broaden its deployment across sectors.

Experts in the domain are unambiguous about solar power being the future. Deepak Gupta,  a former secretary to the Government of India who was in charge of renewable energy, told The Secretariat the need is for almost 150 to 200 GW of solar energy capacity by 2050.

“We are slow in terms of solar capacity building and we currently add about 15 GW a year. We need to ramp it up to 70-80 GW annually to meet the energy requirements of the future," said Gupta, who is currently the Honorary Director General of National Solar Energy Federation of India. 

Further, some experts suggest that the government needs to look at broadening subsidies to make solar power technologies more affordable, which will increase individual rooftop adoption rates.

While the country looks to reach new heights in building solar power capacity, the question that arises is whether there are enough minerals to increase or sustain the growth trajectory that is needed to meet the targets.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, which convert sunlight into electrical energy, are made with silicon, copper, tellurium, and cadmium among other minerals. The government has already classified them as critical minerals. 

The Clock's Ticking 

Solar PV modules have a life span of about 25 years. A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a Delhi-based policy think-tank, suggests solar PV life may be reduced due to poor installation, lack of maintenance, as well as damage to integral parts of the module.

The CEEW study notes India’s existing solar power installations have already generated about 100,000 tonnes (kt) of waste, as of 2023. The total waste from existing and new solar power capacity, deployed between 2023 and 2030, will reach about 600,000 tonnes by 2030. By 2050, it's expected to spiral to 19 million tonnes.

Since the waste generated from discarded modules will have minerals that are limited, the transition to green energy can only be sustainable for multiple cycles if we recycle them. 

Circularity: The Way Forward

For sustaining growth in building solar capacity, circularity needs to be added to the agenda. Circularity aims to reduce waste as much as possible by recycling, while keeping the product's value intact for a longer time.

Experts are of the view that the issue of circularity is at a very nascent stage as recycling solar technologies needs some research and development support as well as a policy framework to evolve and work at scale. They agree that there is an urgent need for this. 

On circularity in solar power generation, Gupta said, “It is very important to bring the agenda of circularity into building solar power capacity in the country, given how solar manufacturing requires the use of critical  minerals.”

Gupta also said that as we build solar power capacity, disposal of the waste generated from solar PVs needs to be given equal attention as well.

India already has a waste management initiative in place for solar PV modules, panels and cells as part of the Electronic Waste Management Rules 2022. The rules require solar PV modules and cell producers to store the waste generated up to 2034- 2035 as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. 

The rules mandate the filing of annual returns on the e-waste management portal up to 2034-2035. Every recycler of solar PV modules and cells shall be required for the recovery of materials as laid down by the CPCB. However, experts believe this framework leaves the issue of circularity ambiguous.

That said, some challenges remain in the recycling of solar technology. 

The Challenges

Anushree Joshi, climate and sustainability researcher at the Boston Consulting Group, said the challenging part of incorporating circularity in solar power equipment is that it is difficult to do it at scale. “It is because it is really expensive to recycle these raw minerals,” Joshi told The Secretariat.

Further, proper recycling and disposal of each component, including critical minerals, entails a unique and sometimes complex process. There is an urgent need for the private and public sectors to collaborate and strategise a plan of action here. 

Cost is also a limiting factor, according to experts, as recycling solar panels is more expensive than disposing them in a landfill. The lack of well-defined government regulations is also another reason holding solar recycling back. 

The Silver Lining

The BJP, in its manifesto, has planned to initiate a national electronic waste-management programme, which can define a better framework and cater to solar waste. But some experts favour a different framework.

“There is a need for a separate framework, particularly catering to solar waste management and recycling,” said Gupta. “Solar waste management has to be a collaborative effort between manufacturers, consumers, and maintenance workers. Incentivising it can be helpful, but that aspect needs to be looked at.”

A report by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy recommends a holistic monitoring and reporting system in place and partnerships and engagements among relevant stakeholders.

It argues for fostering collaboration among stakeholders, improving the commercialisation of the PV waste market, and running awareness-cum-skill enhancement campaigns to reduce solar waste.

Experts are strategising to materialise a framework on the issue. Gupta said the NSEFI has set up a platform called SolaREcycle in February 2024. It will serve as a platform for industry response and is forming a task force to work on solar waste management.

With all this going on, it seems the next government has its task cut out.

As the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant once said, “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.”  It is to be seen if the new government follows through with something tangible in the area of circularity. Or we just end up praying to the sun god.