A team from the University of South Australia (UniSA) has developed strategies to prolong the operational life of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, helping address the mounting waste problem from retired modules while reducing the environmental footprint of solar energy deployment, tells Tech Xplore.
With rooftop and utility-scale solar installations booming worldwide, many solar panels are now ending up in landfills once their output drops below economic thresholds. The UniSA researchers surveyed a range of degradation modes (corrosion, loss of protective coating, delamination, and module failure) and investigated how maintenance, redesign, and policy incentives could delay end-of-life points.
Their findings suggest that with modest interventions, i.e., better coatings, small repairs, predictive maintenance, and targeted recycling incentives, many panels could remain productive far beyond current disposal norms. That adds value both economically (more energy from the same hardware) and environmentally (less waste, lower manufacturing burden).
The research also emphasizes the importance of planning for reuse and second-life applications. Instead of discarding aging panels, some might be redirected to low-demand roles (rural electrification, storage backup, off-grid use), where slightly reduced output is still valuable.
Overall, the study warns that rapid solar growth, while positive, must be paired with forward-thinking end-of-life strategies. Without that, the clean energy transition risks accumulating large waste streams. Proper design, maintenance, reuse, and policy alignment can ensure PV remains a truly sustainable pillar of global energy.