Solar panels

The US installed 150 million solar panels but only 7 million were made in the US. The rest were imported, primarily from China. The EPA estimates that the US could have one million tons of solar panel waste by 2030 and 60 million tons by 2050. In contrast the US produced 2000 tons of nuclear waste in 2024. Most of the solar panel waste is burned or buried. Solar panel waste contains hazardous materials like lead, cadmium, silver, arsenic and selenium. The problem is even more severe with wind mills disposal but very little is in the news.