Prioritization of Barriers for Photovoltaic Solar Waste Management in Saskatchewan

The worldwide exponential upsurge of photovoltaic panel installations and the subsequent heights of photovoltaic waste is a matter of intense concern. There is an estimation that within next 2050 year, the worldwide generation of photovoltaic waste may rise upto 60-78 million tons. The objective of this study is to identify the crucial barriers to photovoltaic solar waste management in Canada and prioritize them. At first, the barriers to photovoltaic solar waste management were identified through literature review and expert feedback. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the selected seven experts who have comprehensive knowledge and expertise on solar management in Saskatchewan. In this study, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to analyze and find prioritization among these barriers. Some crucial barriers from each category are lack of legislative framework, lack of monitoring and supervision, generation of the low volume of solar waste, low profitability in recycling, lack of consumer awareness, and lack of knowledge about business opportunities. Among the rest, lack of restriction on landfill disposal, undefined role of stakeholders, lack of subsidy and tax rebate, additional cost for consumers, lack of knowledge about business opportunities, insufficient campaigns are also worth mentionable barriers. This study is expected to contribute to the concerned government agencies to assess, evaluate, and utilize the priority of barriers to establish a sustainable and resilient solar waste management plan in Saskatchewan, Canada.