Photovoltaic glass replacement cycle

A Life Cycle Assessment of a recycling process for photovoltaic panels is performed. The recovery of secondary raw materials (Al, Cu, Ag, Si, glass) is achieved. The recovered glass is used in the manufacturing of building components. The critical steps of the recycling process calling for improvement are identified.

A proper disposal of decommissioned PV panels is crucial for avoiding environmental risks and for recovering value-added materials. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed in order to assess the environmental performance of a new recycling process for crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV panels, at the End of Life (EoL).

The wide scale adoption of photovoltaic solar panels in the construction industry is part of the global drive to move away from carbon intensive forms of energy production. PV panels consist of 76% to 89% (by weight) of glass depending on the technology utilised to construct them. Current life expectancy of solar panels is about 30 years.

Materials (Basel). 2023 Apr; 16 (7): 2848. Because of the increasing demand for photovoltaic energy and the generation of end-of-life photovoltaic waste forecast, the feasibility to produce glass substrates for photovoltaic application by recycling photovoltaic glass waste (PVWG) material was analyzed.

Photovoltaic wastes are multi-material composites that contain diverse materials, such as, glass, metal rods and plastic; the amount of these materials on the photovoltaic waste depends on the type of solar panel [ 5 ]. However, crystalline silicon cells panels are the dominant waste in the generation of photovoltaic residues [ 6 ].

Glass is also utilised in photovoltaic panels applied to buildings and infrastructure projects. Glass is an inert material that has the potential to be recycled in a closed-loop system indefi nitely.