Workshop Report Solar Panel Waste Workshop at the Century City Conference Centre – 5 th March 2019

The workshop addressed the emerging waste stream of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in South Africa, noting that while most current waste stems from damage, obsolete panels will increase significantly within five years. Participants discussed the legal ban on solar panels in landfills starting August 2021, the need for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and the trade-offs between centralized recycling facilities and local dismantling hubs. The report highlights the importance of the waste management hierarchy—preventing, reusing, and repairing—and suggests that while full local recycling may not be feasible in the short term, local pre-processing and the export of PV cells are viable options.

• Solar panels are classified as hazardous waste in South Africa and will be prohibited from landfill disposal starting in August 2021, per GN.R. 636 of August 2013.
• The majority of solar panels (95%) are silicon-based, while 5% contain hazardous heavy metals such as copper indium gallium selenide or cadmium telluride; the latter are highly valued by manufacturers due to the scarcity of tellurium.
• While current solar panel waste is primarily caused by transit, installation damages, and weather, the volume of waste from aged and obsolete panels is expected to rise significantly within five years.
• Industry stakeholders suggest that a full local recycling facility is not feasible for the next five years due to insufficient quantities, recommending instead local dismantling and the export of PV cells.
• There is a lack of a nationwide registration system for solar panels, which hinders traceability and the ability to divert panels back to manufacturers.
• The workshop identified a tension between centralized recycling solutions, which offer economies of scale and easier regulation, and local solutions, which reduce logistics costs and carbon footprints while promoting local economic development.
• The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) introduced the PV Green Card to train installers and regulate the industry to prevent unnecessary panel damage during installation.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Workshop Report Solar Panel Waste Workshop at the Century City Conference Centre – 5 th March 2019. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Solar-Panel-Waste-Workshop-Report-5Mar2020-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Workshop Report Solar Panel Waste Workshop at the Century City Conference Centre – 5 th March 2019. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Solar-Panel-Waste-Workshop-Report-5Mar2020-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Workshop Report Solar Panel Waste Workshop at the Century City Conference Centre – 5 th March 2019 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Solar-Panel-Waste-Workshop-Report-5Mar2020-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendworkshop, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Workshop Report Solar Panel Waste Workshop at the Century City Conference Centre – 5 th March 2019}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Solar-Panel-Waste-Workshop-Report-5Mar2020-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }