Solar research team targets safer future for solar panels and groundwater

Solar research team targets safer future for solar panels and groundwater
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2025

Researchers at Binghamton University's Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science have received a $254,737 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to examine the long-term stability and environmental effects of solar cells.

The study, led by Assistant Professor Yuxin Wang from the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, addresses the pollution risk of lead used between solar cells - a concern for groundwater safety and public health.

"New York state aims to have one-of-a-kind solar power production in the future, and we don't want to sacrifice the environment with lead as a substitute for the harmful effects of carbon emissions," Wang said.

The program will test perovskite solar cells as a more sustainable replacement for conventional silicon cells. Professor Tara Dhakal from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has spent the past decade developing perovskite technology, which reduces lead content by 85 percent while maintaining necessary electrical conductivity. "Solar cells are more widely deployed outside, so we need to think about how we take care of the end of use," Dhakal said. "We want to make sure that we recycle the precious metals. Also, while the panels are running for 20 or 25 years, we want to make sure we have the right way of encapsulating it so that nothing releases out."

To gauge longevity, Professor Shuxia "Susan" Lu will run accelerated life tests, emulating two to three decades of use within weeks or months. "The life expectancy of a solar panel is 20 to 30 years, but we will accelerate it to a couple of weeks/months and see whether any pollutants are leaching out," Wang said.

Industry partners include H.B. Fuller, which supplies adhesive encapsulation for environmental protection, and Avangrid, the parent company of NYSEG. The team will share findings for practical improvements in how panels are sealed and recycled.

The project also calls for AI-powered drone inspection of solar farms. Associate Professor Yong Wang leads development of autonomous drones equipped with advanced thermal-imaging cameras, aiming for 95 percent detection of faults and rapid inspection of sprawling solar installations. "The large solar farms can be hundreds of acres. and if you have to do the inspection manually, it is very, very time-consuming," he said. "If you use a drone to fly up high in the air based on a route that can be automatically scheduled, you can cover the entire farm within 30 minutes or less."