Solar panels, inverters, deep cycle batteries, and so on, have saved the day for many Nigerians, especially those who can afford them.

The rise in the use of solar panels, may however, pose environmental health risks especially in the long term. Solar panels as used throughout this article refers to all other alternative sources of energy commonly used in Nigeria, except petrol/diesel generators. Generators are a well-established source of environmental pollution, and are indeed worth exploring, however, the focus here is solar panels, because amongst many other reasons, they have been lauded as environmentally friendly since they require minimal maintenance over their lifespan.

As things stand, I do not think we need to worry very much about the environmental or related impacts of producing solar panels. I may be wrong, but I am almost sure a significant percentage (if not all) solar panels currently in use in Nigeria were imported from somewhere.

That does not however, mean that things are honky dory and we can just go about our business. The mechanism for converting sunlight to electricity is immensely impressive and so far, most people who have installed solar panels are happy with their investment. While that’s great, we must prepare to handle the associated waste.

The lifespan for brand new, well designed, fully functional solar panels is according to many reports, around 25 – 30 years. However, many of the solar panels installed are not brand new, and some are not well designed. Some are Tokunbo- a colloquial term used to mean second-hand vehicles and other machinery imported from rich countries, which means that part of the half-life has already been exhausted. Therefore, some of those solar panels will need to be disposed of in the next few years. Some other people whose solar panels aren’t Tokunbo, but who started using the solar panels several years ago, will still need to replace their solar panels at some point in the future. So regardless of the longevity of your panels (realistic or embellished), at some point, it will become waste. Waste that must be properly managed, particularly because of the potential human and environmental health hazards.  The lifespan of inverter batteries is even shorter (around 3 -4 years!), and some batteries are already lying around, constituting a major public health risk.

Already, Nigeria is a dumpsite for all manner of electronic waste. Refrigerators, washing machines, computers, name it. The environmental impact of dumping waste in Nigeria has not been adequately assessed, but going by what is physically observable at waste dump sites, the impact is tangible, with likely future impacts on human and ecological health. According to some estimates, solar energy associated hazardous waste, will exceed the waste that laptops, iPhones and other electronics constitute, in future.

Since solar panels contain toxic materials including heavy metals such as lead, as they disintegrate, these toxic components can leach out and possibly reach groundwater and surface water resources. They might also reach agricultural soils and enter the food chain. Considering that waste is rarely properly managed in Nigeria, and solar panels may in fact, not be properly discarded in designated landfills (if there are indeed any designated landfills), then the potential for human exposure to aerosolized pollutants also exists. Trash pickers who scavenge through waste dumpsites by hand are possibly the most immediate risk group.

So, what should we do?

The jury seems to be split on the issue of recycling. Some of the reports I have read seem confident that solar panels can be recycled. I should clarify here, that the issue of whether or not solar panels can be recycled might be immaterial in our case, as I doubt we have the infrastructure to efficiently recycle anything much less fagged out, potentially toxic solar panels. There is another, quite persuasive school of thought however, that solar panels are either difficult to recycle or are just not worth it economically and in the eco-friendly sense. There are some other groups of experts such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) who have said that solar panels can be recycled, and that the process is well worth it.

We can prepare a recycling market for solar panels. Since use is increasing steadily, relevant stakeholders, social impact investors and other investors can start considering developing the capacity to recycle solar panels. Train personnel, invest in robust machinery, equipment and facilities, explore markets for trading the salvaged resources that are valuable. Start recycling!

It will create jobs and government revenue. It would also contribute to protecting our environment and improve public health. It is however, obvious that we must tackle insecurity in Nigeria. Noone will invest in a country as volatile as ours. It is clear that the issue of insecurity is complicated, but tackling insecurity is not the focus of this article.

The relevant arm of government must intervene and create minimum requirements and incentives, where necessary for disposing solar panels. We also need more stringent environmental protection laws, as well as a tighter regulatory premise to prevent other countries from mindlessly dumping half-dead solar panels and other forms of e-waste in Nigeria.