Banana Shire Council Joins Circular PV Alliance for Solar Panel Recycling
This week, the Banana Shire Council has made history by becoming the first council in Queensland to align with the Circular PV Alliance, marking it as only the second regional local government to endorse the initiative aimed at ensuring solar panels are properly recycled or reused rather than discarded in landfills.
The Circular PV Alliance (CPVA) is a grassroots not-for-profit entity that was established in 2021 by industry players in the solar energy sector. Its mission is to harness the complete potential and ecological advantages of solar energy by facilitating its shift into a circular economy.
Joining a Growing Movement
Currently, the Alliance comprises eight members, and with the Banana Shire Council’s participation, it will expand to nine. This move follows the Dubbo Regional Council as the second regional authority to affirm its backing for this significant cause.
Tom Upton, the CEO of Banana Shire Council, expressed the council’s commitment: “We want to activate as many opportunities for our local community as possible, and recycling used solar panels to recover valuable materials is the type of innovative business model we want to support.” He highlighted the community’s existing renewable energy initiatives, noting that more projects are forthcoming.
Renewable Energy Developments in Banana Shire
Banana Shire is already home to the Moura solar farm and has plans for additional developments including the Baralaba, Smoky Creek, Sawpit, and Callide solar projects. The area also accommodates the Callide coal-fired generation complex and numerous wind energy initiatives.
Upton mentioned, “The Circular PV Alliance helps solar developers design and manage solar projects in a more sustainable manner, ensuring that solar panels do not end up in local landfills.” He underscored the importance of this initiative for creating local business opportunities and driving economic growth, which the Council wholeheartedly supports.
Expert Insights on Sustainability in Solar Energy
Megan Jones, co-founder and CEO of the CPVA, emphasised the necessity of incorporating circularity practices now to guarantee that Australia’s solar sector remains both environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. “Local governments are striving to grasp the impacts and benefits of large-scale solar energy projects on their communities, which can prove challenging due to the rapid pace and scale of the rollout,” noted Jones.
The CPVA aids project developers in embedding circularity practices into solar initiative through its CPVA Certified assurance framework. This process ensures that any used or damaged panels are directed away from landfills and instead earmarked for recycling or repair, alleviating the pressure on local waste management facilities overwhelmed by complex e-waste like solar panels.
A Promising Future for Circular Economies
The burgeoning solar circular economy presents a new market opportunity. Regions like Banana Shire, which will host numerous solar projects, are well-positioned to become leaders in this innovative urban mining sector.
Recently, the CPVA awarded the 400-megawatt Stubbo solar farm in central western New South Wales an “Exceeds” CPVA Certified rating for surpassing baseline requirements and adopting a comprehensive lifecycle approach to the management of materials for reuse rather than disposal. Remarkably, all 930,000 solar panels installed at the Stubbo solar farm will be recycled at the end of their operational life, setting a precedent as the first large-scale project to comply with independent standards that support commercially viable circular management.
