California went big on rooftop solar. Now that’s a problem for landfills

[Elderberry]

LA Times by Rachel Kisela 7/15/2022

California has been a pioneer in pushing for rooftop solar power, building up the largest solar market in the U.S. More than 20 years and 1.3 million rooftops later, the bill is coming due.

Beginning in 2006, the state, focused on how to incentivize people to take up solar power, showered subsidies on homeowners who installed photovoltaic panels but had no comprehensive plan to dispose of them. Now, panels purchased under those programs are nearing the end of their typical 25-to-30-year life cycle.

Many are already winding up in landfills, where in some cases, they could potentially contaminate groundwater with toxic heavy metals such as lead, selenium and cadmium.

Sam Vanderhoof, a solar industry expert and chief executive of Recycle PV Solar, says that only 1 in 10 panels are actually recycled, according to estimates drawn from International Renewable Energy Agency data on decommissioned panels and from industry leaders.

The looming challenge over how to handle truckloads of waste, some of it contaminated, illustrates how cutting-edge environmental policy can create unforeseen problems down the road.

“The industry is supposed to be green,” Vanderhoof said. “But in reality, it’s all about the money.”

California came early to solar power. Small governmental rebates did little to bring down the price of solar panels or to encourage their adoption until 2006, when the California Public Utilities Commission formed the California Solar Initiative. That granted $3.3 billion in subsidies for installing solar panels on rooftops.

The measure exceeded its goals, bringing down the price of solar panels and boosting the share of the state’s electricity produced by the sun. Because of that and other measures, such as requirements that utilities buy a portion of their electricity from renewable sources, solar power now accounts for 15% of the state’s power.

More: https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fstory%2F2022-07-14%2Fcalifornia-rooftop-solar-pv-panels-recycling-danger

[sneakypete]

Many are already winding up in landfills, where in some cases, they could potentially contaminate groundwater with toxic heavy metals such as lead, selenium and cadmium.

@Elderberry

I have to confess that I didn't have the first clue about this. It never even occurred to me the panels COULD wear out,never mind there being no safe way to recycle them.

[libertybele]

@Elderberry

I have to confess that I didn't have the first clue about this. It never even occurred to me the panels COULD wear out,never mind there being no safe way to recycle them.

We checked into solar. The saleswoman that they sent out gave a very poor presentation, but we were told that in the event of a loss of power, the panels would only run a few appliances and not enough to run the air conditioner.  So, solar for us then would serve little purpose as we have a generator that will run the air, lights and our refrigerator and freezer alternately, should we lose power.  Perhaps in the very long run, it would save us on our monthly electric bill, but she told us that the electric company only pays out a reimbursement once a year. Along with that, if you have to have your roof replaced (and insurance companies are now requiring new roofs in in this area after 10 years) you have to pay or put in your contract disassembly and reassembly costs.  Insurance was another issue - another thing that needs to be insured. 

[Elderberry]

A new roof every 10 years? Wow! My previous roof lasted just over 30 years. I just replaced it a couple of years ago. And it had zero leaks. And I can't remember how many times I got a call after a hail storm telling me they could get me a free roof.

[libertybele]

Many insurance companies in FL have recently become insolvent and it is a nightmare getting homeowners insurance. Those that are still insuring are making mandates and doubling or tripling premiums. Roofs are a big issue supposedly because of fraud.  DeSantis has been working on the issue and has set aside funding for insurance companies but if we get hit with a hurricane this year I'm not sure how people are going to be able to afford insurance. On top of that you have to have a hurricane policy and also a flood policy if you live in a flood zone.  We don't live in a flood zone and FEMA still raised our rates.

[sneakypete]

Many insurance companies in FL have recently become insolvent and it is a nightmare getting homeowners insurance. Those that are still insuring are making mandates and doubling or tripling premiums. Roofs are a big issue supposedly because of fraud.  DeSantis has been working on the issue and has set aside funding for insurance companies but if we get hit with a hurricane this year I'm not sure how people are going to be able to afford insurance. On top of that you have to have a hurricane policy and also a flood policy if you live in a flood zone.  We don't live in a flood zone and FEMA still raised our rates.

@libertybele

Who ever heard of insurance companies going bankrupt? I thought there were laws in place REQUIRING them to keep certain amount of money on hand for immediate claims payouts,depending on total policy obligations?

[libertybele]

@libertybele

Who ever heard of insurance companies going bankrupt? I thought there were laws in place REQUIRING them to keep certain amount of money on hand for immediate claims payouts,depending on total policy obligations?

@sneakypete   Well, banks were supposed to keep $$ on hand to cover their deposits and those requirements are no longer in place.  Insurance companies have been coming and going for years around here.  At first many just pulled out of FL but now we have insurance companies that have claimed bankruptcy.

DeSantis signed a law recently to prevent insurance premiums from escalating and a fund to help insurance companies to remain solvent, but with all the fraud it's a band-aid.  Contractors are contacting homeowners that don't need a new roof only a repair and then homeowners are tapping their insurance companies for a new roof and it's not just the roofing contractors.  He tried to put laws in place to prevent fraud but the contractors are screaming foul under the right of free speech and pushing back....it's a cluster.

[DefiantMassRINO]

So, clean renewable energy is not so renewable nor so clean?   

[Kamaji]

@libertybele

Who ever heard of insurance companies going bankrupt? I thought there were laws in place REQUIRING them to keep certain amount of money on hand for immediate claims payouts,depending on total policy obligations?

It happens periodically.  Either the market turns against the insurance company at an inopportune moment, or the company experiences an amount of claims that exceeds the amount of reserves they're required to keep.  They aren't required to keep 100% reserves - it wouldn't be a business in that case - so it is possible for claims to exceed reserves.