The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)has issued version 1.0 of the “Guidelines for Storage and Handling of Waste Solar Photo-Voltaic Modules or Panels or Cells” under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.

The draft guidelines were issued in June 2025.

The guidelines prescribe operational standards for the transportation, handling, and storage of waste solar modules, panels, and cells to ensure environmentally sound management and prevent risks to human health and the environment.

Transport and Collection

The CPCB guidelines specify that waste solar photovoltaic modules, panels, and cells must be transported and handled in a manner that protects both human health and the environment. Solar waste must not be dumped in open areas or landfills due to the risk of releasing hazardous substances into the environment.

Waste intended for recycling must be handed over only to registered e-waste recyclers, while producers and manufacturers may collect and temporarily store the waste under regulated conditions.

Transportation must be carried out in covered trucks to prevent physical damage and environmental contamination. If the waste is transported for final disposal, the process must comply with the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

Storage and Handling

The Board has prescribed detailed storage and handling requirements for facilities managing solar waste. Waste photovoltaic modules must be stored in covered, dry, and well-ventilated spaces to prevent degradation and accidental breakage.

Storage floors must be impervious and non-leachable to prevent contamination of soil and groundwater. Broken modules must be stored separately in rigid and clearly labelled containers.

Facilities must install fire safety systems, maintain emergency response plans, and clearly label storage racks to enable safe handling and identification of materials for recycling. Personnel handling solar waste must be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment.

Operators must maintain detailed inventory records of the waste stored and conduct monthly inspections of storage facilities. Inspection reports must be maintained and produced during audits conducted by CPCB or state pollution control boards.

Compliance Monitoring

The CPCB stated that improper management of end-of-life solar panels could lead to environmental and health risks due to the presence of materials such as glass, aluminum frames, silicon wafers, plastics, and metals, including copper, silver, lead, cadmium, tellurium, gallium, arsenic, and tin.

To monitor compliance, the guidelines introduce an inspection format to record the month of inspection, the facility’s name and location, the quantity of waste stored, and the status of ventilation systems, fire safety arrangements, spill control mechanisms, PPE availability, and inventory management.

Regulatory Framework and Scope

The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 were notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and came into effect on April 1, 2023. The rules cover 106 categories of electrical and electronic equipment, including solar panels, modules, and cells, which are classified under Schedule I as CEEW-14.

Under these rules, the management of electronic waste operates on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), requiring producers to meet recycling targets by purchasing EPR certificates from registered recyclers.

However, the current regulatory framework does not apply recycling targets to waste solar modules, panels, or cells. The rules assign responsibilities to manufacturers, producers, and recyclers of solar photovoltaic equipment.

These entities must register under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, follow CPCB guidelines and standard operating procedures, file annual returns on the regulatory portal, and store solar waste until the financial year 2034–35.

Producers and manufacturers must establish collection mechanisms, including take-back systems, and provide publicly accessible information about collection points and designated contact persons for consumer support and grievance redressal.

In 2024, the National Green Tribunal sought responses from multiple government agencies in response to a plea regarding the improper disposal and recycling of photovoltaic solar modules.