Investigating the Remanufacturing Potential of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Fabian Schoden, Joscha Detzmeier, Anna Katharina Schnatmann, Tomasz Blachowicz and Eva Schwenzfeier-Hellkamp
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Fabian Schoden: Institute for Technical Energy Systems (ITES), Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Joscha Detzmeier: Institute for Technical Energy Systems (ITES), Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Anna Katharina Schnatmann: Institute for Technical Energy Systems (ITES), Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Tomasz Blachowicz: Institute of Physics—Center for Science and Education, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Eva Schwenzfeier-Hellkamp: Institute for Technical Energy Systems (ITES), Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Resources are becoming more expensive and less accessible, for instance construction wood or semiconductors. In addition, climate change requires the conversion of the energy system to 100% renewable energy. Therefore, we need resources to prevent the climate crisis from worsening, but at the same time, we are suffering from a worsening resource crisis. State-of-the-art technologies, such as silicon-based photovoltaic or wind power plants, are harnessing renewable energy but causing problems and resource losses at the end of their useful life. This alarming situation must be addressed with renewable energy technologies that can be used longer, repaired and remanufactured, and properly recycled at the end of their useful life. An emerging technology that can complement the established systems is dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Their production is less energy intensive and they can be manufactured without toxic materials. In line with the concept of the circular economy, the service life of all products must be improved in order to reduce resource consumption. Therefore, we investigated the potential for remanufacturing DSSCs by taking apart old DSSCs, cleaning the components, and building new DSSCs from the remanufactured components. The remanufactured DSSCs have the same or higher efficiencies and can be remanufactured multiple times.

Keywords: circular economy; remanufacturing; dye-sensitized solar cell; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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