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solar waste

Solar panel recycling plan urges repair, reuse first

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.

Ecoprogetti releases fully automated solar panel recycling line

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.

Germany has urgent need to expand solar module recycling capacities, IEA-PVPS says

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.

Manufacturers responsible for PV module disposal, confirms EU

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

Solarcycle invests $344 million in solar factory

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.

Advancing circular economy in photovoltaics: The Hot Knife PV module recycling method

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.

Using end-of-life photovoltaic panels as building material

Scientists in India have proposed to use solar modules at the end of their lifecycle as a building material for low-cost small housing units. With solar module recycling currently not viable economically, the researchers said their approach makes conventional solar panels into BIPV products without any modifications.

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Solar passports to support PV waste management in India

A new study proposes a blockchain-based solar passports framework to address the PV waste management challenge in India. It says such a framework would enable transparent tracking and verification of PV panels throughout their lifecycle, ensuring efficient asset monetization and promoting sustainable practices within the solar industry.

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Water jet tech to recover glass from end-of-life solar panels

Japan’s Shintora Kosan has developed a novel water jet technology to recover glass from end-of-life PV modules. It says it can pulverize the solar cells and the backsheets without damaging the glass.

Itochu to start recycling solar modules

Japan’s Itochu has announced a new tie-up with France’s Rosi Solar, which develops tech to recover and recycle high-purity silver, copper and silicon from solar modules.

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