We are pleased to announce the successful presentation and discussion of our Solar Study which provides guidelines for Solar PV waste management and a framework for the collection of Solar PV panels including financing for recycling facilities in India as a Producer Responsibility Organization as a part of ‘Pathways for Solar Waste Management in India’ event organized by NSEFI, Solar Power Europe and PV Cycle Europe, under the aegis of EU-India Clean Energy Climate Partnership, on 19th February 2024.
The event was graced by Mr. Deepak Gupta (Retd. IAS, Director General NSEFI), Mr. Dinesh Jagdale (Joint Secretary, MNRE), Mr. Jan Clyncke (MD PV Cycle), Mr. Bartosz Przywara (Counsellor, European Union Delegation to India), Mr. Subrahmanyam Pulipaka (CEO NSEFI).
Additionally, the event was attended by stakeholders across the solar value chain, policymakers, experts, and industry partners.
Background of the study:
As of Nov 2023, India has installed around 72.31 GW of solar power. Thus, as everywhere else in the world, the prodigious penetration of PV technology in India will also generate a large amount of PV waste. India’s e-waste regulation (for management and handling) was crafted in 2011 and became effective on 1 May 2012. The E-Waste Management Rules were recently amended by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to facilitate and streamline implementing an environmentally sound management of e-waste in India. While the regulation has been issued, the specific guidelines for solar PV are missing.
Under the EU-India Partnership NSEFI and Solar Power Europe have joined hands to provide guidelines for Solar PV waste management and develop a framework for the collection of Solar PV panels and financing for recycling facilities in India as a Producer Responsibility Organization under the appellation of SolarRecycle India.
SolarRecycle India’s primary objectives encompass providing a comprehensive perspective on industry insights, emphasizing preventive measures, formulating a financial strategy to ascertain compliance fees concerning the handling of discarded PV panels, and concentrating on activities associated with the collection and management of discarded PV waste.
Session Objectives:
The summit witnessed the launch of SolarRecycle India. The key objective of the event was to facilitate discussion on the focus areas for the smooth implementation of SolarRecycle India. The main focus areas of discussion included:
- Estimation of collectible discarded PV Panels and prevention measures
- Campaign Strategy to create awareness
- Actions for Waste Owners
- Financial Plan
- Monitoring Mechanism
- Action required for collection and treatment of collected PV panels
