Alberta is rolling out a new fee on solar panels in an effort to address what to do with aging equipment once it reaches the end of its useful life.
An environmental charge of 14 Canadian dollars will be added to each new solar panel supplied in Alberta starting Oct. 1, according to pv magazine.
Here's what to know
Panels that have already been installed will not be subject to the fee. Instead, the charge is meant to build funds for collecting, transporting, and recycling solar panels after they are retired.
For homeowners, that added expense appears relatively small next to the cost of a full system. The provincial government said that a standard 20-panel residential installation would incur CA$280 in fees, or less than 1.5% of the installation price, pv magazine reported.
Alberta is pairing the policy with projections about a substantial future waste stream. The province says it has the second-largest installed solar capacity in Canada, and 95% of the panels now in use are expected to reach end of life by 2045, creating up to 72,700 tonnes of material to manage.
Alberta describes the effort as North America's first solar panel recycling program of its kind.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
As solar adoption rises, end-of-life planning is becoming a bigger part of the clean energy conversation.
Alberta also says solar panels will be barred from landfill sites across the province.
The fee has drawn pushback from some renewable energy advocates, who argue that even modest added costs can send the wrong message to investors and developers.
What's being done?
Alongside the fee, Alberta says it will work with the Alberta Recycling Management Authority and industry partners to grow reuse and recycling capacity over time. The money collected is intended to ensure funding is available as more panels reach the end of their useful lives.
Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said Alberta is putting the system in place to recover valuable materials, attract private investment, and create a new recycling industry.
"Alberta needs stable, predictable policy to attract investment and build the affordable, reliable electricity the province needs. Adding unnecessary costs to new renewable energy projects sends the wrong signal at a time when Alberta needs more electricity in the system," Radha Rajagopalan, director of policy for Alberta at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, argued in a LinkedIn post, per pv magazine.
Hunter said: "Alberta has never been afraid to lead. We will not wait until mountains of dead solar panels are piling up in our landfills before acting."
Where can I learn more?
Other parts of North America are wrestling with many of the same issues.
• In Tennessee, BBB Industries is opening a facility to recycle 125,000 solar modules yearly.
• In Odessa, Texas, a company is expanding solar panel recycling capacity as waste concerns grow.
• In Connecticut and Virginia, advocates are pushing faster home solar permitting to lower homeowner costs.
• In the U.S., a lawsuit is pressing officials to reinstate Solar for All funding.
• A new analysis says solar panels save homeowners about $700 a year.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
