Recycling c-Si PV Modules: A Review, a Proposed Energy Model and a Manufacturing Comparison

Andrea Mulazzani, Panagiotis Eleftheriadis and Sonia Leva ()
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Andrea Mulazzani: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy
Panagiotis Eleftheriadis: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy
Sonia Leva: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milan, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-19

Abstract: As human activities are increasingly exploiting our planet’s scarce resources, managing them has become of primary importance. Specifically, this study examines the management of photovoltaic (PV) waste that is produced when PV modules reach end-of-life (EoL). PV modules contain precious and valuable materials, as well as toxic materials that may be harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of properly. First, this study aims to review and analyze the current literature in order to gain a deeper understanding of the recycling of PV modules, particularly c-Si modules, which represent the largest market share. In the second part, an analysis is conducted of the energy consumption of these recycling processes using a proposed model based on the full recovery end-of-life photovoltaic (FRELP) process. PV modules manufactured from raw materials and PV modules manufactured from recycled materials are also compared in this section. In addition, improvements are suggested with respect to the design of PV modules (eco-design). According to this study, c-Si PV modules can be recycled with an energy consumption as low as 130 ÷ 300 kWh/ton of treated PV waste, estimating an overall recycling yield of about 84%.

Keywords: energy model; FRELP; life-cycle; photovoltaic (PV); PV waste; raw materials; recycled materials; recycling; silicon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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