Growing use of solar power is a good thing, but a drawback is that recycling of old solar panels remains difficult and expensive. That could lead to the panels piling up in landfills, and environmental harm coming from the small amounts of toxic metals in the panels. Researchers are working on solutions. One may be using microwave technology — the kind used to heat food — to heat up parts of solar panels, making it easier to take them apart and recover materials. Meng Tao, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and founder of a Tucson-based solar panel recycling company, talks about the challenges of recycling panels and some steps toward progress. The article is also published in The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington).