Post by Energy Studies Institute (ESI)

📣The very first episode of ESI Webinar Series concluded on 27th March 2026! 📣 We were pleased to have Ms. Kendra Ho, Research Assistant of Energy Studies Institute, share her study on “Environmental Impact Assessment of Solar Panel Production and Recycling in Southeast Asia The Implications of Effective Waste Recovery Policies”. As global energy transition efforts continue, solar power has emerged as an attractive option for decarbonizing the power sector. However, one of the challenges associated with solar panels is their end-of-life waste management. During the webinar, the environmental impacts of the current solar PV supply chain were compared against a regional model where downstream manufacturing is shifted to several Southeast Asian locations (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Few key takeaways from the presentations include: ⚡Rising PV waste in Southeast Asia highlights the urgent need for regional recycling policies to address regulatory gaps. ⚡The LCA compares all-China production with regionalized downstream manufacturing in Southeast Asia, while assessing standard (LGRF) and advanced (FRELP) recycling methods. ⚡Regional production shows lower climate impacts due to a cleaner energy mix, with waste recovery further reducing impacts through material recovery. ⚡Combining waste recovery with grid decarbonization can lower PV life-cycle environmental impacts. ⚡Waste recovery can further lower environmental impacts when avoidance benefits are considered, but it will require EPR, recycling investment, and stronger regional cooperation. If you are interested in reading more about this study, please find the link as follows: Environmental Impact Assessment of Solar Panel Production and Recycling in Southeast Asia https://lnkd.in/ghPDy9yC Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the webinar. We look forward to seeing you at our next session.