solar waste

A comprehensive new report from IEA PVPS Task 12 reveals how countries around the world are managing the growing volumes of end-of-life solar modules, implementing regulations and scaling recycling infrastructure to handle the expected increment in PV waste over the coming decades.

Researchers at University of New South Wales have reported details about a novel sieving-aids technology that improves the separation of metal fragments from other components when recycling end-of-life PV panels. The patented process reportedly enhances the recovery of silver.

Researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have developed an innovative process that not only enables recovery of valuable materials from end-of-life solar panels but also upcycles non-recoverable fractions into construction materials such as bricks, blocks, and aggregates. This dual approach prevents hazardous waste from entering landfills while reducing dependence on virgin raw materials.

In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society debunks old and new urban legends about solar energy.

Australia’s rooftop solar industry has renewed calls for a mandatory recycling scheme to deal with the growing problem of solar panel waste. Only about 10% of panels are currently recycled. The rest are stockpiled, sent overseas or dumped in landfill.

Italy’s Ecoprogetti has developed an automated photovoltaic recycling line that separates and recovers up to 100% of the aluminum, copper, glass, plastic and silicon in solar panels. It can process up to 60 panels per hour while using 40% less energy than other solutions on the market.

Feedback from stakeholders involved in Germany’s end-of-life PV modules treatment chain found more needs to be done around the transparency of PV module waste volume, the take-back and collection process and module recycling, as the country prepares for significantly larger volumes by the end of the decade.

The European Council has adopted new amendments to clarify which entities should bear the costs of managing electronic waste, including PV modules.

Solarcycle has invested $344 million in a solar manufacturing facility in Polk County, Georgia. The factory has been designed to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to produce new solar glass, positioning Solarcycle as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon PV in the US market.

Recycling is of significant importance in a circular economy, yet some challenges have to be faced when recycling PV modules. The novel Hot Knife method to separate the crystalline silicon photovoltaic module front glass from the backsheet contributes only a few permill to the life cycle related potential environmental impacts of PV electricity.