Transitioning towards a circular economy solar energy system in Northern Australia: insights from a multi-level perspective

Increasing resource efficiency and decreasing waste by 2030 through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse is one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Australia is predicted to have up to 145,000 t of solar panel waste by 2030 and many large-scale solar systems are proposed to be built across Northern Australia. Research suggests that solar panel consumption and waste patterns are not dissimilar to other forms of e-waste such as mobile phones. Consequently, there is a need to rethink how the end of life of solar panels is managed. In this paper we raise the question of how Northern Australia should plan for managing solar panel waste arising from these huge installations in the future. This paper draws on the multi-level perspective, as a framework for conceptualising the transition challenges associated with promoting a circular solar energy system in the region. Adopting this approach facilitates consideration of social, technical and political drivers of solar panel waste and their implications for governance and planning in regional Australia. It is suggested that planning activities aimed at strategic, tactical and operational levels can help Northern Australia transition into a sustainable regional future.Practitioner pointersNeed to develop planning system/framework/process for waste arising from solar farms.Usefulness of the multi-level perspective for identifying the range of stakeholders, barriers and drivers.Rethinking regional development of Northern Australia through a new industry space between the solar and waste sectors.