A Multi-Criteria AHP Framework for Solar PV End-of-Life Management

Wadhah Alzahmi () and Malick Ndiaye
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Wadhah Alzahmi: Department of Industrial Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates
Malick Ndiaye: Department of Industrial Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-28

Abstract: The global growth of solar power has led to a significant increase in solar photovoltaics (PV) waste, which is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. The recommended end-of-life (EOL) management techniques for wasted PV panels include landfill disposal, recycling, or panel reuse. However, a comprehensive decision-making strategy is necessary to assess the appropriate EOL plans from various perspectives, including economic, environmental, sociological, technological, regulatory, and business. This study aims to establish a comprehensive approach for examining disposition alternatives and suggest guidelines for PV EOL management. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to prioritize disposition alternatives for solar PV waste, considering five key criteria: environmental impact, economic viability, social implications, policy and legislative compliance, and technical feasibility. The AHP Aggregating Individual Priorities (AIP) aggregation approach is used to analyze data using a pairwise comparisons matrix. The research indicates that recycling is the most preferred option based on the primary criteria, achieving the highest overall score compared to other alternatives. However, discrepancies were observed in the decisions among individual stakeholder groups and subfactor evaluations. To address these variations, this study provides policy recommendations to guide the sector in adopting optimal decision-making strategies for PV EOL management.

Keywords: solar panel; analytic hierarchy process; end of life; EOL; disposition decision; group decision making; AIP; AIJ; AHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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