Recycling Photovoltaic Panels: Problem or Solution?

I want to direct your attention to a subject of great importance, from my point of view, but often ignored: the recycling of photovoltaic panels. Have you ever reflected on the fate of solar panels at the end of their life span? The subject is not often addressed, but it deserves to be explored in depth. Therefore, I invite you to find out what the challenges of recycling photovoltaic panels are and what solutions have been discovered so far.

The Current Panorama of Photovoltaic Panels

Information shows us that in 2023, the photovoltaic systems market is in full expansion and innovation. Among the most recent developments are advanced photovoltaic solutions, which include high-performance materials, thermo-photovoltaic technologies, and sustainable variants. These trends are supported by decreasing costs and local production.

In the USA, for example, the solar industry added 6.1 gigawatts of capacity in the first quarter of 2023, registering an increase of 47% compared to the previous year. (source) Globally, the market was valued at 157.75 billion dollars in 2022, with a forecast of annual growth of 7.8% until 2030. (source)

This seems to be a positive aspect, however, we must consider a major consequence, namely the ecological impact and recycling difficulties of photovoltaic panels. Due to the high costs of recycling and limited infrastructure, you can clearly understand that many panels end up in landfills, representing a major ecological problem. However, besides protecting the environment, reusing components from used solar panels can reduce the need for raw materials, while also providing employment opportunities.

Consider that in 2022, the global installed solar capacity was 268 gigawatts, an increase from 183 gigawatts in 2021, with an estimate of 315 gigawatts in 2023. (source) What does this indicate? Of course, a future huge quantity of used photovoltaic panels. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that solar panel waste will reach 1 million tonnes by 2050, and in Australia, they represent the fastest-growing stream of electronic waste, with over 100,000 tonnes of waste by 2035. (source) And, as I mentioned above, the costs of recycling are often higher than those of disposal, requiring financial incentives and an adequate regulatory framework. However, Europe holds a leading role, having regulations that impose the collection and recycling of photovoltaic panels.

Challenges and Solutions in the Recycling of Photovoltaic Panels

You can easily see that the lack of an efficient recycling system for photovoltaic panels has a major impact on the environment. Even though these panels generate clean energy, the manufacturing process and their waste at the end of the life cycle include toxic materials, which can affect the environment. Okay, then what's to be done? The most feasible and effective solutions must be found. Recycling is essential to prevent the environmental problems associated with the disposal of these panels.

A concrete example of recycling photovoltaic panels, or rather reconditioning, that I can offer you, is the process applied to silicon-based panels. This includes disassembling the panels into components, melting broken wafers, manufacturing new silicon cells, and final assembly, resulting in an 85% recycling rate. However, the high cost of this recycling process makes the option of landfill disposal more attractive to many decision-makers.

Another process is the physical recycling process, the mechanical and most used one. In the first stage, all the materials contained in a panel are separated. These components are then ground, tested to determine the amount of toxins, and then reused. A panel can consist of various materials including silicon, glass, aluminum, copper, and silver.

As for chemical recycling, which represents one of the newest solutions discovered, this is usually done after thermal treatment. It includes separating the materials of the panel through chemical processes, but this process also involves the release of dangerous gases, which represents a major issue in the recycling of photovoltaic panels. A positive thing is the possibility of reusing these substances several times in these recycling processes.

To give you examples, there are two main technologies for recycling silicon-based photovoltaic panels: delamination and material separation. These technologies include dissolution in thinner, dissolution in nitric acid, thermal treatment, and ultrasonic irradiation, each with its specific advantages and disadvantages. For thin-film panels, recycling technologies include delamination, material separation, and material purification, with processes such as hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, each also having its own advantages and disadvantages. (source)

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in recycling systems, including in the recycling of photovoltaic panels, represents a promising and innovative direction in waste management. If you wonder how exactly, here's the answer. A relevant example is the development, in the USA, of an intelligent waste management system, which uses smart sensors, visual cameras, and hyperspectral cameras in combination with an automatic waste sorting machine. These technologies allow capturing images of objects as they move on a conveyor belt, and sensors help monitor and control the waste management process.

Moreover, this technology uses machine learning models to improve the recognition and classification of non-recyclable waste. The collected information and images are uploaded to a cloud database to train and test these models, which can analyze data to identify patterns, make decisions, and continuously improve. These models will analyze the images and descriptions of waste, as well as information about the physical, chemical, and biological properties of these, to determine contaminants, energy density, and organic content.

In the future, researchers plan to assess the technical feasibility and ecological performance of their system on a pilot scale. They also intend to develop a web platform that will allow them to share data sets and other information with interested parties. (source)

Opportunities and Perspectives in the Recycling of Photovoltaic Panels

Considering the complexity and costs of recycling processes, it is essential to develop more efficient and sustainable methods. Do you agree? This could include financial incentives and an adequate legislative framework, as well as research into discovering new innovative technologies in the waste recycling sector. However, this segment represents a very good business opportunity.

You should know that the global market for recycling photovoltaic panels presents enormous potential, estimated to grow from 0.36 billion dollars in 2023 to 1.72 billion dollars by 2028. (source) This opens the way for new industries focused on recycling used photovoltaic panels, and this growth is supported by numerous companies worldwide (United States, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, China, Canada, Spain, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Israel, Ireland, France, and Brazil), which deal with the recycling of photovoltaic panels.

Also, various governments around the world provide funding and support for the recycling of photovoltaic panels. I'll give you a few significant examples:

United States: The U.S. Department of Energy, through the Office of Solar Energy Technologies (SETO), announced the funding opportunity "Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV)" for fiscal year 2023. This will provide up to 20 million dollars over three years for research and development projects. These projects aim to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of solar technologies, thus consolidating the circular economy for photovoltaic systems in the United States. (source)

European Union: Through EIT RawMaterials, the European Union funds a project under the supervision of Veolia Germany, with a total of 4.8 million euros. This project aims to develop an efficient and unique technology for recycling photovoltaic modules that have reached the end of their useful life. (source)

Japan: PV CYCLE aisbl and the Akita Prefectural Resource Technology Development Organization (Akita PRTDO) announced the creation of PV CYCLE Japan for the collective management of decommissioned photovoltaic panels. The initial activity of PV CYCLE JAPAN was to serve as a point of contact for a feasibility study on the collection of decommissioned photovoltaic panels for the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, the main goal being to promote the reuse and recycling of decommissioned photovoltaic panels. (source)

China: The Chinese government, through the National Development and Reform Commission, has announced a plan to establish a recycling system for decommissioned photovoltaic panels. By 2025, China aims to build a mechanism for disposing of decommissioned equipment from photovoltaic power plants. Also, by 2030, the Chinese government intends to mature the complete recycling system for photovoltaic power plants, while also supporting third-party recycling companies to carry out recycling activities for decommissioned photovoltaic equipment. (source)

These initiatives reflect a significant global commitment to promoting the recycling of photovoltaic panels and to supporting the development of a circular economy in the solar energy field.

I conclude that recycling photovoltaic panels is not just an ecological necessity, but also an extraordinary business opportunity. With emerging technologies and an expanding market, this field offers fertile ground for innovation and sustainable development. We face challenges, but recycling photovoltaic panels can become a path to a greener and more prosperous future. How do you see this subject?