Ode to the sun, caution on the waste

It was to be expected that we would have a Solar Day too. Looking at solar energy, the news is good, as the sector is making fast progress in both the developed and developing worlds. In a place like Bangladesh where a majority are still in the dark, the solar PV has brought more than a glint in the lives of the poor, according to the World Bank. In the US, the industry has witnessed a stupendous growth.

And yet, there are the detractors who say 'don't forget the cost'. This totally erroneous comparison with coal-based power is simply because of subsidies as a result of which the cost does nto reflect environmental, social or health costs of fossil fuels. If these externalities into objective account and remove all the subsidies to conventional power plants the true cost can be as high
as Rs. 25.00 per unit as per some experts.

But there is a side we must stay tuned in to, and that is the toxics part. To prevent an e-waste crisis from solar panels, like the releasing of tellurium and indium into the environment, it becomes necessary to recycle to our best. The PV materials that can be recycled are glass, silicon wafers, silver, indium, tin, moly, nickel, zinc, copper, aluminum, zinc, plastics, CdTe filter cake, and CIGS filter cake.

The question is if making such a recycling mandatory a good idea, or will it add to the costs fro manufacturers and deter the growth? What do you think?