Solar cells have grown explosively over the past decade, and this could create ripples in developing countries. With technological advances, new environmental targets, and panels that decline in performance after prolonged use, replacing solar cells will in many cases become inevitable. An opinion piece from Bloomberg, citing the International Renewable Energy Agency as its main source, predicts that as much as 78 million tons of solar cells will be consumed worldwide by 2050—and this is considered a significant underestimate as prices fall.
It is now predicted that more and more used panels will end up in poorer countries and that it could potentially become a second-hand market worth many billions.
Many second-hand deals take place online
Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people living without electricity decreased from 1.2 billion to 759 million worldwide. One of the reasons is that more and more people are getting smaller solar cell systems, without connection to a fixed grid, in their homes or villages. No one yet knows how much a second-hand market for solar panels has generated today, as most deals today take place in the shadows, often online through, for example, Facebook. But Laid Sahraoui, owner of Hong Kong-based solar cell company R3 Tech, guesses to Bloomberg that there are 10 million used panels in the existing global market - and he himself calls that figure "pessimistic."
