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Solar Panel Recycling in 2023

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Solar panel recycling is the process of recovering and reusing materials from end-of-life solar panels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), recycling solar panels could recover up to 78 million tonnes of raw materials by 2050. This would help reduce the environmental impact of solar panels and extend their lifespan.

Issues with Solar Panel Recycling

One of the biggest challenges in solar panel recycling is the complexity of the process. Solar panels are made up of several different materials, including glass, aluminum, silicon, copper, and plastic. These materials are difficult to separate and recycle, which makes the process both time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the lack of a standardized recycling process for solar panels has resulted in varying levels of efficiency and effectiveness across different recycling facilities.

Another challenge with solar panel recycling is the lack of infrastructure to support it. The vast majority of solar panels are not recycled, and as a result, they end up in landfills. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), only 9% of solar panels installed in the US in 2016 were recycled. This highlights the need for more investment in solar panel recycling infrastructure.

Solar Panel Recycling Companies

Despite the challenges, several companies are leading the way in solar panel recycling. One of these companies is First Solar, which has a recycling program that recovers up to 90% of the materials in their solar panels. Another company is PV Cycle, which has a network of recycling facilities across Europe that recycle solar panels at the end of their life.

Research for the Future of Solar Panel Recycling

Researchers are also working on new technologies to make solar panel recycling more efficient and cost-effective. For example, researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed a method for recycling silicon-based solar panels that could recover 95% of the materials. This method uses a combination of mechanical, thermal, and chemical processes to separate the materials.

Another promising area of research is the use of robots to automate the recycling process. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have developed a robot that can disassemble solar panels and recover the materials. This robot could significantly reduce the time and cost of solar panel recycling.

Conclusion

Solar panel recycling is an important part of the transition to a more sustainable energy system. However, the current lack of infrastructure and the complexity of the process pose significant challenges. To overcome these challenges, more investment is needed in solar panel recycling infrastructure, and research into new technologies is crucial. As more solar panels reach the end of their life, it is essential that we address this issue to minimize the environmental impact and maximize the potential of solar energy.

  1. International Energy Agency (IEA). (2020). “End-of-Life Management of Solar Photovoltaic Panels.” https://www.iea.org/reports/end-of-life-management-of-solar-photovoltaic-panels
  2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). (2019). “Life Cycle Assessment Harmonization Project: Final Report.” https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/72953.pdf
  3. First Solar. (2021). “Recycling.” https://www.firstsolar.com/sustainability/recycling
  4. PV Cycle. (2021). “Solar Panel Recycling.” https://www.pvcycle.org/solar-panel-recycling/
  5. University of New South Wales. (2020). “UNSW Scientists Develop Efficient Method to Recover High-Quality Silicon from Photovoltaic Panels.” https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2020/09/unsw-scientists-develop-efficient-method-to-recover-high-quality-silicon-from-photovoltaic-panels
  6. University of Cambridge. (2020). “New Robot to Disassemble Solar Panels Could Revolutionize Recycling.” https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/new-robot-to-disassemble-solar-panels-could-revolutionise-recycling
  7. SolarPower Europe. (2021). “Solar Sustainability Best Practices Mark: Module Recycling.” https://www.solarpowereurope.org/solar-sustainability-best-practices-mark-module-recycling/
  8. The Guardian. (2021). “Recycling Solar Panels Is Complicated and Expensive. Could a New Innovation Change That?” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/22/recycling-solar-panels-is-complicated-and-expensive-could-a-new-innovation-change-that

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Bifacial solar panels for commercial solar.

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Vicinity Centres, who will provide 31MW of clean energy to 22 shopping centres and their retailers by the end of the year, is trialling bifacial solar panels to see how that will affect their choices for stage 3 of Vicinity’s solar program.

Bifacial solar panels for commercial solar.

According to an article in PV Magazine, the first bifacial panels were installed at Kurralta Central Shopping Centre to get a better yield from their available roof space. Initial tests showed 6-8% to 16-18% increased output (they tried a bunch of different locations and coatings on the roof to maximise output). 

 “It’s early days,” said Renae Sambrooks, General Manager of Energy and Commercial Management for Vicinity, “but results from Kurralta made us feel confident enough to install bifacials in three more centres.

“Over the next few months results of those trials will help us make decisions around our Stage 3 solar program,” she said in comments quoted in PV Magazine.

We’ve reported fairly comprehensively about Vicinity Centres and solar investment in the past – we’re also taken a look at the Stockland shopping centres and their commercial solar investment.

“As of today,” Sambrooks said, “we’ve produced 2.5MWh of clean energy from 13MW of installed capacity and we’re in the process of constructing the next 18 MW, which will be completed by the end of 2019.”

There are a few other bifacial solar panels available:

An article in Green Tech Media notes that the bifacial PERC modules can boost performance by a staggering 27%. 

The Bifacial Solar Panels at Kurralta are one of the first steps Vicinity Centres are making to end up with their 31MW of renewable energy output – Sambrooks discussed the long term goal:

“Our vision was to create intelligent energy destinations. We’re not just whacking solar panels on roofs. It’s a long-term investment and we’re always thinking how we can sweat the solar installations and all our other energy initiatives to make a return.”

Still very early days, so we’ll keep you updated how they go with the testing and what Vicinity decide to do with regards to commercial solar panels.

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