Alberta creates first North American solar panel recycling fee
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The government of Alberta, a Canadian province, will charge a CAN $14 fee on each new solar panel sold starting October 1.
This fee will fund the future collection, transportation, and recycling of panels when they reach the end of their useful life. Officials anticipate that 95% of the solar panels currently installed in Alberta will need to be recycled by 2045, potentially creating 72,700 tonnes of material for recovery.
The province intends to collaborate with the Alberta Recycling Management Authority and industry partners to expand recycling capabilities as the volume of end-of-life panels increases. Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Grant Hunter stated the fee will help Alberta recover valuable materials and attract investment in a new recycling industry. However, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association expressed concern that the fee is significantly higher than existing electronics recycling fees in Alberta and exceeds their independent cost analysis.
The province also announced it will prohibit sending solar panels to landfills. Research indicates that recycling a large-scale solar module in the United States currently costs between $15 and $45, while landfill disposal costs between $1 and $5.
