> Manufacturers globally are deploying enough solar panels to produce an additional 240 gigawatts each year. That rate is projected to increase to 3 terawatts by 2030, Ovaitt says. By 2050, anywhere from 54 to 160 million tonnes of PV panels will have reached the end of their life-spans, she says.
> [...] Key to this finding is that the module must be framed and braced, and the glass must be ribbed to allow pockets for the cells and welds inside the border of the module. The result is a module design that is completely polymer free, hermetically sealed, has improved thermal properties, and is easily recycled
"Towards Polymer-Free, Femto-Second Laser-Welded Glass/Glass Solar Modules" (2024) https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10443029 :
> [...] Key to this finding is that the module must be framed and braced, and the glass must be ribbed to allow pockets for the cells and welds inside the border of the module. The result is a module design that is completely polymer free, hermetically sealed, has improved thermal properties, and is easily recycled