Webinar – PV Stewardship – How far have we progressed?

Thursday 27 JUNE | 1:00PM – 2:00PM AEDT

Webinar-How far have we progressed graphic

Resources

Stewardship for Photovoltaics – How far have we progressed?

Accompanying graphic
(Open link > right-click > Save Image As… )

View our latest webinar to find out what progress has been made so far PV Stewardship. Photovoltaic systems were first placed on the Federal Environment Minister’s Priority List in 2016-17. In 2023-24 PVs were removed it from the list as government is now progressing regulation due to insufficient progress by industry to better manage the environmental impacts of these products since they were first listed. Many would have seen and responded to the the government’s paper Wired For Change: Regulation for small electrical products and solar photovoltaic system waste released in June 2023.

The Federal government as part of its Budget statement in May 2024 reaffirmed its commitment to a circularity economy including developing a new recycling scheme for solar panels. Since then the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water has advised that they are progressing solar panel stewardship regulation as its priority and will be directly engaging with relevant stakeholders with an updated approach (informed by consultation today) for solar panel stewardship soon.

While the Federal government has been actively investigating and consulting with industry and state and territory jurisdictions on national PV Stewardship regulations; industry associations, universities, recyclers, training organisations and state government agencies have started to investigate the various challenges, possible solutions and costs associated with scaling up solar panel reuse and recycling in Australia.

In this webinar we caught up with what has been happening across NSW, Queensland and Victoria on reuse opportunities, recycling capacity, collection logistics , solar panel dismantling training for operators, and planning requirements for large scale solar facilities.

Why You Should View

Stay informed and keep up-to-date with the latest policy regulatory changes in PV stewardship.
Gain expert insights from industry professionals about reuse, recycling of solar panels.

Thursday 27 June | 1:00PM – 2:00PM AEDT

Click below to register now and we look forward to seeing you online.

Speakers

Amelia Turcato

A/Unit Head of Infrastructure Unit, Major Programs, NSW Environment Protection Authority

Amelia designed and implemented the $10 million Circular Solar funding program, which saw the EPA award grants to projects that address the management of end-of life solar panels and batteries.

Amelia has worked on other strategic programs including broader assessments of NSW e-waste resource recovery capacity and supporting national progress for e-stewardship.

Darren Johannsen

Product Stewardship Manager – Smart Energy Council

Darren is responsible for the intersection of renewables and broader biosphere – issues such as biodiversity and product recovery and materials limits.

Darren has a background in product stewardship but has also held roles as c-suite roles in consumer electronics and Sporting Goods Retail.

A lifelong environmentalist, Darren shifted focus towards sustainability due to his post-graduate studies in Strategic Foresight.

Caz Saunders

Training and Quality Manager – Solar Training Centre

Caz has driven Solar Training Centre’s quality training programs in solar, storage, energy efficiency, carbon management and sustainability across Australia since 2010. Solar Training Centre is working with Lotus Energy Recycling, Torus Group Electrical and Victoria University for the project Development of Solar-PV REUSE Protocols and National Accredited Training Program that has been awarded $399,554 through the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Innovation Fund. This project will develop solar-PV REUSE protocols to determine whether a decommissioned solar panel can be repurposed. The protocols will involve a visual inspection, thermal and luminescence scanning, and judgment of the solar panels based on voltage and current outputs, resulting in a Pass or Fail outcome. These protocols will be used to create the course curriculum and materials for a National Accredited Training Program. The program will be piloted with 3 cohorts of participants, followed by a post-delivery evaluation. This project aims to increase the readiness of the solar-PV industry for its inevitable transition to a circular economy

The Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence is an independent, not for profit charity, that seeks to reduce waste generation and create positive environmental and social outcomes through sustainable design, resource conservation, reuse, repair, and recycling. The Centre helps businesses, industries, and product stewardship organisations to adopt a strong lifecycle approach to deliver their ESG and circular economy objectives. We also provide independent advice on product stewardship priorities to the Australian government.

Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence | c/- Institute for Sustainable Futures | University of Technology | PO Box 123 | Broadway NSW 2007