Solar Waste:
While India ramps up its solar power capacity, the nation does not yet have a firm policy on managing waste that results from used solar panels or from the manufacturing process.
- The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) last December estimated that the global photovoltaic waste will touch 78 million tonnes by 2050, with India expected to be one of the top five generators of such waste.
- India currently considers solar waste a part of electronic waste and does not account for it separately, according to a response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
- Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) R.K. Singh said a committee had been constituted under the chairmanship of the Ministry’s Secretary to propose an action plan to evolve a “circular economy” in solar panel, through reuse/recycling of waste generated.
- The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
- It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy.
- It was founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force in 2010.
- The agency is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
