recycling

Reclaim PV has added another partner to its national solar panel recycling and recovery program with South Australian-based manufacturer Tindo Solar committing to a program that will see close to 100% of the solar PV panels that it handles recycled and re-used in the industry.

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.

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.

American Resources Corporation is developing a process to separate pure rare earth metals from lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles or power plants based on renewable energy. The technique is described as a two-zone ligand-assisted displacement chromatography (LAD) that is able to produce metals with high yields and purity of over 99%.

Australia’s national science agency has identified a potential AUD 3.1 billion ($2.4 billion) industry, as the increasing penetration of renewable energy continues to drive growth in the battery energy storage sector.

French research institute CEA-Liten has created a technique that consists of using a diamond wire to cut through the photovoltaic cells, separating the module’s glass front face from the polymer-based backsheet. The process is claimed to be low-polluting and low-energy.

Reclaim PV is now one step closer to ensuring that solar generation lives up to the promise of providing clean energy throughout its life cycle, and that repurposing its component materials becomes viable.

IHS Markit is predicting the world will add 30% more solar capacity this year.

The PV industry can’t claim to be a clean energy source if it leaves a trail of hazardous waste.

Slowly but surely, environmental concerns are making their way into mainstream thought throughout the PV industry. A look at recycling offers an example of this, with stakeholders trying to get ahead of the high volumes of end-of-life modules already on the horizon. pv magazine examines the technologies that will be needed, alongside policy and economic support, to keep the bulk of these modules out of landfill and ultimately to establish a circular economy for PV materials.