Fukushima Prefecture, which aims to meet 100% of energy demand in the prefecture using renewable energy, has been No. 1 among the six prefectures in the Tohoku region for cumulative solar power generation output for nine years in a row.
With more solar power generation systems being set up every year, it is believed that mass disposal of used solar panels will be seen within one to two decades.
Experts point out that a lack of proper recycling or disposal systems could lead to the abandonment and illegal dumping of solar panels.
Feed-in tariffs
Thanks to the introduction of a feed-in tariff (FIT) system in fiscal 2012, which requires power utilities to buy electricity generated from renewable energy sources at fixed prices set by the government, solar power generation has spread not only among major utilities but also among many homes.
According to the industry ministry, in fiscal 2012 — the year when the FIT system was first launched — Fukushima ranked second among prefectures in Tohoku, after Miyagi Prefecture, in terms of solar power generation output by companies and individuals certified under the system.
The prefecture has topped the list for nine consecutive years since fiscal 2013. The cumulative amount of solar power generation in Fukushima Prefecture totaled 2,594,588 kilowatts in the period up to fiscal 2021 — 1.26 times that of Miyagi Prefecture, which came second.
Solar power generation in Fukushima has expanded thanks to assistance from the prefectural government made available since fiscal 2012, providing ¥40,000 per kilowatt — to a maximum of ¥160,000 — to cover part of the costs of installing solar power systems in houses.
A simple comparison cannot be made because prefectural assistance measures vary, but an official at the Fukushima Prefectural Government’s energy division said people in Fukushima “are more likely to consider setting up solar power generation because the assistance is generous compared with that of other prefectures.”
A total of 2,292 solar power installations were approved last fiscal year, which will generate a total of 13,154 kilowatts. The Fukushima Prefectural Government expects the total number of applications in the current fiscal year to reach around 2,800.
Used solar panels
Renewable energy covered 47% of energy demand in the prefecture in fiscal 2021, out of which some 80% was generated by solar power.
Nevertheless, solar panels reach the end of their lives in about 25 to 40 years.
The central government estimated in April last year that the disposal of solar panels in Japan would reach its peak in the late 2030s, with solar panels falling into disuse amounting to between 170,000 tons and 280,000 tons a year during peak disposal years.
As the accumulated amount of solar power generation capacity certified under the FIT system in Fukushima Prefecture by fiscal 2021 totaled 2,594,588 kilowatts, a simple calculation — assuming that a 1.2-square-meter solar panel weighing roughly 20 kilograms generates roughly 200 watts of power on average — shows that there will be 259,458 tons of used solar panels in the future.
The life span of solar panels differs depending on the product, and some could be discarded earlier than expected due to disasters or equipment failures.
According to Takashi Nakamura, a professor emeritus at Tohoku University in Sendai and head of a study group made up of officials from the prefectural government and industries related to energy, environment and recycling in Fukushima Prefecture, “There is a possibility that the processing (of discarded solar panels) will not be able to keep up (with the speed of disposals) under the current system, possibly leading to abandonment and unlawful dumping of panels.
“It is necessary to come up with a (processing) framework appropriate for each region and material and make it ready as soon as possible,” he said.
Prefectural support
The biggest challenge is how to collect and transport used solar panels efficiently and recycle the glass and copper wire — the raw materials used in producing panels.
The prefectural government plans to set up a recycling project in February that will be operated by local businesses. They will also work on building a system to recycle solar panels.
Takaryo, a recycling company in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, began full-scale operation of a solar-panel recycling facility in October 2021, and recycled some 2,500 panels in a little more than a year.
If the facility operates at full capacity, it can process up to about 60,000 panels in a year, which is equivalent to some 1,200 tons, according to the firm.
However, there are only a few companies in the prefecture that handle the recycling of solar panels.
There are limits to what can be done by private firms alone, and there are calls for the public and private sectors to work together to construct a solar panel collection and recycling system.
The study group will start discussing how companies can cooperate to address issues around the recycling of solar panels.
A prefectural government official in charge of next-generation industries said, “Members of the group hope to share ideas to create a recycling industry in the prefecture.”
This section features topics and issues covered by the Fukushima Minpo, the prefecture’s largest newspaper. The original article was published Jan. 30.
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