Thanks for the mention here - and writing a great article on hail damage and recycling.
As you all know hail is quite prevalent here is Texas. My poor car has been hit 3 times when on the road and my truck once, no condoms available then.
Yes this story in Fort Bend County has really hit the news. The video is quite disturbing. Link below. https://fb.watch/r7P5wdImcc/
Another site that has flown under the radar is a site, BT Kellam industrial solar facility in Ben Wheeler. It had hail damage and 6 times fire marshals were called to the site to extinguish fires, when they tried to start up again. They are having trouble getting replacement panels. Luckily not much damage has been done because of the fast response. From the report I read it was Sep/Oct last year.
Here in Erath County we had 1 windmill fire last year, that I know of, many go under the radar unless you are watching the fire reports. At least windmill fires are easy to spot!
The recycling also remains an issue with some states declaring solar panels as universal waste, California, Hawaii, already have and New York and North Carolina I believe are working towards it too if not already approved. Next may be Texas.
We have a bill on the books SB 1290, supposedly looking into the installation, operation and decommissioning of wind, solar and batteries. On the first conference call it seems their direction will mainly be recycling, I am hoping the outcome will not be a bill to approve universal waste for solar.... but that would be my guess. Do a study to fit the outcome... (I have little faith in our government or universities on this subject!)
When you think recycling you think taking the panels apart and pulling out the good stuff and recycling it all. I didn't ever give it much thought, but as usual things are never that simple. Your article shows how hard this is.
I learned that recycling to a recycle plant is reusing many of those panels and shipping them off to countries or people who wish to buy them - so more a resale shop! You can now find used panels online, if you are brave enough, or cheap enough! The recycle company said they could handle 1 million panels - but I image it was speaking more of resale, than recycle, especially since they were talking about decommissioning not damage - different story!
One other interesting point I read was that Germany tried to change the regulations on solar panels coming from China to not use lead solder, apparently it didn't work, it was the cheapest way to do it, so no changes. The diagram on panels you showed, and all others I have seen do not show lead as being involved in the manufacture. Interesting- but there is a study from Stuttgart University on the leaching of lead and cadmium together.
So this all takes us back to what I have been saying for years now - solar superfund sites all across the county. The companies will walk away - the owners will eventually walk away, the counties will own them and that means - you, me and the rest of the country - this is a train wreak in slow motion and not enough people are seeing it yet! No laws to protect us now and none then!
Thanks for the on the ground update and astonishing video.
As you know e-waste is a worldwide problem, but these panels are a real PITA non-starter.
To recycle ♻️ in any meaningful way, panels will need a seachange in engineering and design so they can be more easily dismantled. I am very skeptical that recycling will ever approach breakeven, without further subsidies. Better yet, just skip panels altogether!
Yes - I am with you - let's skip the panels altogether - I'm afraid that is not going to happen- "too much rotten in Denmark" is that what they say? Rotten somewhere!
Mark my words - there will be more subsidies fro recycling, you are right it can't be done breakeven, which is why several recycle companies were so interested in SB 1290. Mining the prospects!
I personally don't want to pay for decommissioning and/or recycling with my tax dollars - I'd rather see it go to the homeless issues - let's solve that problem which is here now and not some perceived problem in the future. But there again not so easy for so many to make money on that!
Consensus science has a well-documented history of being way wrong and abusing those who dared to challenge it & the consensus is wrong about GHE & CAGW.
1. Earth is cooler w the atmos/WV/30% albedo not warmer.
YouTube: Greenhouse Effect Theory Goes Kerbluey
2. Ubiquitous GHE heat balance graphics use bad math and badder physics.
YouTube: Atmospheric Heat Balances That Don't
3. Kinetic heat transfer modes of contiguous atmos molecules render a BB surface model impossible.
Search: “Bruges group kerbluey”
GHE & CAGW climate “science” are indefensible rubbish so alarmists must resort to fear mongering, lies, lawsuits, censorship and violence.
Wow.... will that mean they don't get their school tax abatements? or county abatements... oh goodie.... thanks for sharing this - good place to check on them.... thanks for that share!
It just goes to prove further that not only solar panels and wind turbines can't produce dispatchable energy but that the Forces of Nature can have them easily "dispatched"!!!🤔
Perhaps it would be best for the precious resources that are used to manufacture them should be left alone and have them "keep it in the ground"??🤔😃
It’s not just that the solar panels are damaged, but the hail (apparently) knocked out 350 MW of capacity. In theory, that’s a small gas plant. If you have a big enough of a storm in a region, you might completely knock out a large part of the regions power for months or even a couple years. Just another reason why you need reliable electricity plants.
Thanks for the outline. Quantified in Chapter 7 of my new book "Where Will We Get Our Energy?" Pu Liu and Claire Y. Barlow, "Wind turbine blade waste in 2050," Waste Management, 62:229–240, April 2017 estimated there will be 43 million tonnes of wind turbine waste by 2050. Turbine blades are essentially non-recyclable. First Solar recycles solar panels because they're based in Washington State, which requires solar panel retailers to recycle them. They also have recycling plants in Idaho, and Vietnam (!). What do you want to bet than any solar panels sent to Vietnam, if they work at all, are re-sold, and the broken ones get dumped?
Living in calm and peaceful Oregon's climate, I had no idea how much damage is done by hailstorms in some areas, until I read your very enlightening post on this. Thanks again!
There is a reason why we keep our cars in the garage, and we don't even get the big stuff here in Ohio. My son just moved to Wisconsin, could be interesting for him.
Thanks for the mention here - and writing a great article on hail damage and recycling.
As you all know hail is quite prevalent here is Texas. My poor car has been hit 3 times when on the road and my truck once, no condoms available then.
Yes this story in Fort Bend County has really hit the news. The video is quite disturbing. Link below. https://fb.watch/r7P5wdImcc/
Another site that has flown under the radar is a site, BT Kellam industrial solar facility in Ben Wheeler. It had hail damage and 6 times fire marshals were called to the site to extinguish fires, when they tried to start up again. They are having trouble getting replacement panels. Luckily not much damage has been done because of the fast response. From the report I read it was Sep/Oct last year.
Here in Erath County we had 1 windmill fire last year, that I know of, many go under the radar unless you are watching the fire reports. At least windmill fires are easy to spot!
The recycling also remains an issue with some states declaring solar panels as universal waste, California, Hawaii, already have and New York and North Carolina I believe are working towards it too if not already approved. Next may be Texas.
We have a bill on the books SB 1290, supposedly looking into the installation, operation and decommissioning of wind, solar and batteries. On the first conference call it seems their direction will mainly be recycling, I am hoping the outcome will not be a bill to approve universal waste for solar.... but that would be my guess. Do a study to fit the outcome... (I have little faith in our government or universities on this subject!)
When you think recycling you think taking the panels apart and pulling out the good stuff and recycling it all. I didn't ever give it much thought, but as usual things are never that simple. Your article shows how hard this is.
I learned that recycling to a recycle plant is reusing many of those panels and shipping them off to countries or people who wish to buy them - so more a resale shop! You can now find used panels online, if you are brave enough, or cheap enough! The recycle company said they could handle 1 million panels - but I image it was speaking more of resale, than recycle, especially since they were talking about decommissioning not damage - different story!
One other interesting point I read was that Germany tried to change the regulations on solar panels coming from China to not use lead solder, apparently it didn't work, it was the cheapest way to do it, so no changes. The diagram on panels you showed, and all others I have seen do not show lead as being involved in the manufacture. Interesting- but there is a study from Stuttgart University on the leaching of lead and cadmium together.
So this all takes us back to what I have been saying for years now - solar superfund sites all across the county. The companies will walk away - the owners will eventually walk away, the counties will own them and that means - you, me and the rest of the country - this is a train wreak in slow motion and not enough people are seeing it yet! No laws to protect us now and none then!
Thanks for the on the ground update and astonishing video.
As you know e-waste is a worldwide problem, but these panels are a real PITA non-starter.
To recycle ♻️ in any meaningful way, panels will need a seachange in engineering and design so they can be more easily dismantled. I am very skeptical that recycling will ever approach breakeven, without further subsidies. Better yet, just skip panels altogether!
Yes - I am with you - let's skip the panels altogether - I'm afraid that is not going to happen- "too much rotten in Denmark" is that what they say? Rotten somewhere!
Mark my words - there will be more subsidies fro recycling, you are right it can't be done breakeven, which is why several recycle companies were so interested in SB 1290. Mining the prospects!
I personally don't want to pay for decommissioning and/or recycling with my tax dollars - I'd rather see it go to the homeless issues - let's solve that problem which is here now and not some perceived problem in the future. But there again not so easy for so many to make money on that!
Well said, all true.
Note that a lithium battery recycling company LICY appears to be going bust, it is a very expensive and energy intensive process to recycle.
Without subsidies, the graveyard of busted ESG companies would be stacked to the moon.
Subsidies do not reduce costs; they just hide them in your tax bill, were politicians hope you won't notice them.
I met with my California assemblywoman, a cipher named Laura Friedman. I ambushed her with these questions:
Q: Why do you subsidize solar and wind?
A: To increase them.
Q: Why do you subsidize homelessness?
A: ....
Subsidies don't eliminate costs, they just hide them in your tax bill.
An excellent article, thank you for pointing out the landfill thing, because a lot of that trash is being shipped to Wyoming and we don't want it.
Incredible post. Keep up the good work!
Consensus science has a well-documented history of being way wrong and abusing those who dared to challenge it & the consensus is wrong about GHE & CAGW.
1. Earth is cooler w the atmos/WV/30% albedo not warmer.
YouTube: Greenhouse Effect Theory Goes Kerbluey
2. Ubiquitous GHE heat balance graphics use bad math and badder physics.
YouTube: Atmospheric Heat Balances That Don't
3. Kinetic heat transfer modes of contiguous atmos molecules render a BB surface model impossible.
Search: “Bruges group kerbluey”
GHE & CAGW climate “science” are indefensible rubbish so alarmists must resort to fear mongering, lies, lawsuits, censorship and violence.
There's about the same amount of science in Climate Science! as in Christian Science, political science, social science, ....
Thank you for mentioning my post TC and congrats on your own fabulous work here!
And Fighting Jays is not in good standing with the State Comptroller - status is Forfeited. And ERCOT is doing business with them!!
Ah, par for the course!
Wow.... will that mean they don't get their school tax abatements? or county abatements... oh goodie.... thanks for sharing this - good place to check on them.... thanks for that share!
It just goes to prove further that not only solar panels and wind turbines can't produce dispatchable energy but that the Forces of Nature can have them easily "dispatched"!!!🤔
Perhaps it would be best for the precious resources that are used to manufacture them should be left alone and have them "keep it in the ground"??🤔😃
Yes - you are so right - just leave them in the ground!
Got to love "nature' it can dispatch just about anything! Makes us look so foolish, with some of our stupid ideas of harnessing it -
Happy April Fools day!
It’s not just that the solar panels are damaged, but the hail (apparently) knocked out 350 MW of capacity. In theory, that’s a small gas plant. If you have a big enough of a storm in a region, you might completely knock out a large part of the regions power for months or even a couple years. Just another reason why you need reliable electricity plants.
Thanks for the outline. Quantified in Chapter 7 of my new book "Where Will We Get Our Energy?" Pu Liu and Claire Y. Barlow, "Wind turbine blade waste in 2050," Waste Management, 62:229–240, April 2017 estimated there will be 43 million tonnes of wind turbine waste by 2050. Turbine blades are essentially non-recyclable. First Solar recycles solar panels because they're based in Washington State, which requires solar panel retailers to recycle them. They also have recycling plants in Idaho, and Vietnam (!). What do you want to bet than any solar panels sent to Vietnam, if they work at all, are re-sold, and the broken ones get dumped?
Van - key deal to note is that First Solar panels are CdTe thin film and truly toxic materials - huge liability!
Living in calm and peaceful Oregon's climate, I had no idea how much damage is done by hailstorms in some areas, until I read your very enlightening post on this. Thanks again!
There is a reason why we keep our cars in the garage, and we don't even get the big stuff here in Ohio. My son just moved to Wisconsin, could be interesting for him.
The first time I saw car hail damage was in Kansas - row upon row ball-peened, wow 😳