Disposal of solar panels not easy

By Letter to the Editor on March 1, 2019.

Given the present love affair with solar panel energy generation I am reminded of the 1950s and 60s and the then love affair with “clean” nuclear energy. No one wanted to talk about waste, and still don’t.

These solar panels are mostly glass for which there is a global surplus. Even CanPak does not want it. There is lead, cadmium, antimony and, wait for it, plastic. Where is the information dealing with the disposal of said environmentally friendly equipment? Remember the curly light bulbs that were supposed to save the world? Yes I understand that the life cycle of these panels is 20-30 years, but that does not excuse failing to plan for proper disposal or are they going the way of the Orphan Well program, also known as “let the taxpayer take the fall.”

Ian Parkinson

Medicine Hat

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