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PFAS Waste from Solar Panels
Article from Chemsec raising awareness of PFAS waste from solar panels.
Chemsec is a Swedish non-profit organisation, founded in 2002. Their main focus is on promoting safer chemical use and influencing policy within the EU.
Summary:
While solar panels are widely promoted as a clean energy solution, growing concerns are emerging about the environmental impact of their production and disposal. A significant majority of solar panels use PFAS — highly persistent and toxic chemicals — in their outer layers to enhance durability. These materials are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills or are incinerated, releasing harmful substances into the environment. Experts warn that the industry lacks a clear strategy for managing PFAS waste, and the issue remains largely unaddressed despite its long-term risks to soil, water, and public health.
Despite the scale of the problem, safer alternatives to PFAS-based materials do exist. PET-based outer layers have been used successfully for over a decade and new recyclable options are being developed.
Advocates like Chemsec stress the urgency of confronting PFAS contamination and encourage the solar industry to adopt more sustainable practices.
Addressing this issue transparently is essential if solar energy is to maintain its environmental credibility and contribute meaningfully to a cleaner future.
Click the link below to read the full article:
PFAS waste from solar panels: ‘This is something that people in the sector don’t like to talk about’
Click the link below to learn more about Chemsec:
PFAS in Batteries
Article from Chemsec raising awareness of PFAS in batteries.
Chemsec is a Swedish non-profit organisation, founded in 2002 . Their main focus is on promoting safer chemical use and influencing policy within the EU.
Although this article focusses on batteries in EV's this will also apply to battery storage plants which are aligned with Solar Developments.
Summary:
The rapid expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) is widely celebrated as a major step toward reducing carbon emissions, but a hidden environmental threat lies within the batteries that power them.
Most lithium-ion batteries rely on PFAS — toxic, long-lasting “forever chemicals” — used in binders, electrolytes, and coatings. As demand for EVs surges, so does the use of PFAS-based polymers like PVDF and PTFE, which are difficult to manage at end-of-life and contribute to pollution during manufacturing and disposal. Despite growing concerns and mounting legal pressure, the industry has yet to address the full scope of PFAS contamination.
A ChemSec investigation reveals that eight of the ten largest EV battery manufacturers fail to mention PFAS in their sustainability reports, and those that do offer only vague commitments to exploring alternatives. This lack of transparency and urgency risks undermining the environmental credibility of the EV movement. Safer, PFAS-free battery technologies already exist and industry bodies like RECHARGE acknowledge their viability. If manufacturers continue to ignore the issue, they may face escalating legal and financial consequences as global efforts to ban PFAS gain momentum.
The shift to clean energy and transport must not come at the cost of human health and environmental safety.
Click the link below to read the full article:
PFAS in batteries: The toxic Trojan of the electric vehicles revolution
Click the link below to learn more about Chemsec:
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