Concern over scrapped solar panels that are accumulating in the country, potentially creating a "graveyard", has convinced SCI Eco Services to conduct a study on an electronic waste recycling project.
The increase in discarded solar panels from solar farm operators is the result of a sharp decrease in their capability to convert sunlight into electricity, said Chalong Limsuntrakul, deputy director for waste circularity at SCI Eco Services, the industrial waste management arm of Siam Cement Group (SCG), Thailand's largest cement maker and industrial conglomerate.
"Firms granted concessions to run solar power plants 6-7 years ago now find the solar panels' efficiency has reduced by half," he said.
This led many of these companies to buy new, more efficient solar panels, said Mr Chalong.
A modern solar panel can generate 400-500 watts of electricity, compared with 200 watts produced by a panel based on older technology. The price per panel is also cheaper for newer models.
Replacing solar panels can lead to a waste problem, so proper recycling is needed, he said.
SCI Eco Services is looking into technologies that can deal with unwanted electronic products, notably solar panels. These items can become hazardous waste and threaten the environment.
Solar farm operators that buy new solar panels have no idea of how to deal with the old ones, so they leave them inside the solar power plant compounds, said Mr Chalong.
Others sell the used panels, but the devices will continue to deteriorate and become waste, he said.
"Solar panel graveyards exist in the US, similar to old car graveyards seen in Hollywood movies," said Mr Chalong. "That can happen here too."
A solar panel is made of silica, which helps to convert sunlight into electricity, as well as glass, aluminium, plastic polymers and copper.
Aluminium, copper and other metals are among the first components to be separated in the recycling process.
SCI Eco Services is studying whether the glass can be recycled to produce new glass or a raw material for cement or building material manufacturing.
"We believe solar panels can be managed under a zero-waste concept, but the recycling costs need to be considered, along with how to mix the recycled material with other materials to produce a new raw material," said Mr Chalong.
If the study proves solar panel recycling is feasible, he said the company will consider embarking on a new business, with a recycling facility expected to be built in Saraburi, which houses SCG's cement production.
In another development, SCG is allocating 2 billion baht to expand its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production capacity in Saraburi, Lampang, Rayong and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The company's factories will be upgraded to produce nearly 3,000 tonnes of RDF a day, up from 1,500 tonnes at present.
Using waste from households and municipalities is part of SCG's ongoing efforts to replace coal with alternative fuels -- RDF and biomass -- by 70% in the cement production process by 2030.