April’s hailstorm in Islamabad still remains a stark reminder of natural calamity that strikes without mercy. One can be prepared for the worst. The hailstorm not only left shattered rooftops but also brought a glaring issue into focus: what happens when solar PV panels break? With Islamabad’s installed solar capacity surpassing 250 MW as of end-2024, and over 34,000 net-metered connections, even a small percentage of damage translates to thousands of panels potentially discarded. But where are these broken panels going? Some estimates suggest that recycling could recover 95 per cent of materials from PV panels.
However, there is currently no framework for PV waste collection or recycling within Pakistan. Clean energy should be clean from cradle to grave. We need policies that mandate recycling infrastructure, impose environmental levies on imports and incentivise local panel refurbishment. Ignoring this growing electronic waste problem is not only short-sighted but threatens to undermine the very sustainability goals Pakistan claims to pursue.
Ahmer Zafar
Islamabad