Recycling

Researchers at Stanford University and the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have explored the potential recovery of lost capacity in lithium batteries by using an extremely fast discharging step to reconnect an island of inactive lithium with the anode. Adding this extra step slowed the degradation of their test battery and increased its lifespan by nearly 30%.

In a new report, experts from the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power System Programme (IEA-PVPS) have assessed the economical and environmental benefits of repairing and reusing or replacing solar modules that are not complying with a 30-year expected lifetime. They found that reusing offers the best environmental impact in all cases, while the profitability of this option is currently guaranteed only by rooftop PV under certain conditions. As for large-scale solar, module replacement remains the most competitive option.

Noida-headquartered Lohum plans to expand its integrated lithium-ion battery manufacturing and recycling facility in India to 3 GWh and expand into the US with its first facility. Co-founder Justin Lemmon speaks to pv magazine about how their operations in India will solve the battery supply chain and cost challenge for the nation’s electric mobility and renewable energy ambitions.

A new study proposes an ‘extended producer responsibility’ based regulatory framework for end-of-life (EOL) solar PV management in India. Under the framework, the Government of India (GoI) works as the nodal agency, defining the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders and regulating the overall supply chain. The onus of EOL solar PV take-back, transportation, storage, recovery, and destruction lies on the manufacturers, with the entire system cost borne by an executive committee formed by the manufacturers.  

A new report published by the International Energy Agency offers a series of guidelines for the design of recyclable PV modules. The report aims to help manufacturers find the balance between durability and recyclability, to better address concerns about the 78 million tons of end-of-life PV modules expected by 2050.

Recovering valuable raw materials from end-of-life solar panels and batteries presents a great opportunity for India to secure their future availability as the nation chases its ambitious renewable energy targets.

NREL researchers said a profitable and sustainable solar panel recycling industry could establish itself by 2032. Here’s how the numbers work.

India’s solar capacity growth up to 2030 also means the generation of a significant mass of PV module waste due to early failures or damages during transportation, installation, and operation. The waste generation could be 21 kilotonnes assuming India’s cumulative installed PV capacity grows to 287.4 GW by 2030 from 40 GW in 2020. This doesn’t include end-of-life panel waste as PV systems installed between 2020-30 are assumed to have at least 30 years of lifetime.

Next Energy and Marubeni are developing a blockchain tech for PV module inspection – with the support of the Japanese government – which they claim is able to provide data on a panel’s traceability and components as well as verifying that the data were not modified or tampered with.

The Jaipur-headquartered company carries out smelting of lead ore, lead concentrate, lead battery scrap, and aluminum scrap to produce secondary lead metal and aluminum ingots.