A brief literature review is assessed based on recently published articles and reports, which provides the readers a general overview on the solar PV waste management and regulations made by world leader countries in solar panels. With a help of the United Nations and their initiatives, namely Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development Goals, humanity could delay and prevent the adverse consequences. The next step is to separate the glass from the. Effect of recycling technologies on environment is assessed for c-Si and also policy guidelines are proposed. These processes involve some combination of mechanical, thermal, and chemical processing, all of which all have their oPV) modules have become wn respective challenges. This means more vehicles on city roads. To reinforce the recycling option, currently only Europe has mandated a strong regulatory guideline, however, other nations are preparing to set up particular system for solar panel waste management. Solar PV waste generally categorized as a general waste by the regulatory aspect, except in the EU, since PV panels in these countries are described as e-waste as stated in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. Studies show that the impurity levels are an important issue during the recycling processes. Brief introduction to this section that descibes Open Access especially from an IntechOpen perspective, Want to get in touch? Improved reliability, operation, and performance can be achieved through monitoring. The non-inclusion of PV residues in waste legislation in some countries is due to different, reasons. In particular, this paper focuses on the potential risk caused by solar panels, data collection for PV waste and management approach like recycling. However there is still incentive to improve, considering that most. Ministers agreed that the state of Victoria would lead innovative programs that seek to reduce the environmental impacts caused throughout the lifecycle of photovoltaic systems. The cells are electrically interconnected (with tabbing), creating a string of cells in series (60 or 72 cells are standard numbers used) and assembled into modules to generate electricity (Figure 1). The current study presented an overview of possible PV recycling process for solar modules, including c-Si and thin-film technologies. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was used to analyze the leachates from PSCs to determine the concentrations of major component species. Thin film processes are under development or near implementation in, materials is not sufficient when compared to production costs [26]. A Review of Recycling Processes for Photovoltaic Modules, Solar Panels and Photovoltaic Materials, Beddiaf Zaidi, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.74390. The LCA software GaBi is applied to establish the LCA model and to perform the calculation, and ReCiPe method is chosen to quantify the environmental impacts. Responsibility for the views, information or advice expressed herein is not accepted by the Australian Government. The company has developed and patented original processes using mechanical and chemical treatment to recycle solar cells [47]. The PV waste management has the potential to develop new pathways for industry development and offers employment prospects to investors, for both public and private sector [7]. Higher uncertainties are obtained for the crystalline Silicon production, manufacturing, recycling, solar cell processing and module fabrication due to greater environmental impact, also the parameter causing error are high. So far, recycling processes of c-Si modules are unprofitable but are likely to be mandated in more jurisdictions. lead and tin, this can result in significant environmental pollution issues. Thin-film solar modules recycling processes. a,b, Suneel Pandey. On the other hand, countries with fast expanding PV markets such as China [9], Japan [10], India [11], Australia [12] and USA [13] still lack specific regulations for EoL PV modules. Final Report, ENV. We demonstrate that the performance of PSCs fabricated from recycled substrates can compete with that of devices fabricated from virgin materials. film photovoltaic modules. In recent years the end-of-life (EOL) management of photovoltaic (PV) panels has started to attract more attention. This step of the, system [44]. The summary of this process is shown in Figure 4. Summary of “hot knife” recycling process for PV modules [46]. So far, the most common methods. Countries with the most ambitious PV targets 173-181, s module collection and recycling program. However, the prediction for 2050 is, that the recoverable value could cumulatively exceed 15 billion US dollars (equivalent to 2, billion modules, or 630 GW) [7]. 2015; of recycling strategies for photovoltaic modules based on life cycle assessment. Technological solutions are already available in the market and environmental benefits are highlighted by the literature, while economic advantages are not well defined. Summary of "hot knife" recycling process for PV modules [46]. Marina Monteiro Lunardi, Juan Pablo Alvarez-Gaitan, José I. Bilbao and Richard Corkish (February 15th 2018). to the needs and circumstances of each region or country. The crystalline Si module share is 85-90% among the PV panel technologies. TCLP results from broken MoSCs revealed that metals leached at relatively high levels: Al: 182 mg/L, Ni: 7.7 mg/L, and Cu: 3.6 mg/L. *Address all correspondence to: r.corkish@unsw.edu.au. Digital tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the industrial IoT, and blockchain technology that support the LCA of PV systems are highlighted. The new technology appeared to solve a clear problem, the firm attachment of the glass and the cells to the EVA, and the consequent difficulty to separate them simply by smashing them to pieces and sorting them out [46]. Among the 14 environmental impact categories evaluated by ReCiPe methodology, the most prominent environment impacts are found as Climate Change and Human Toxicity. At that price, the 10–15 kg of glass in a solar module is worth about 15 Yen (approximately 0.14 US D). CIGS has a very high optical absorption coefficient because it is a direct band gap material (can be tuned between 1.0 and 2.4 eV by varying the In/Ga and Se/S ratios [39]) and efficiency of approximately 15.7 ± 0.5% for high bandgap [40]. Making of the solar cells and module fabrication holds for a greater contribution into the environment effect than in the processing of the silicon from the nature to further use in industry. The recovery rates can achieve up to 95% and the materials recovered have higher commercial value. Feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic: The rise of Japan. distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. If we compare the economics, and telecommunications, where the profits are generated through the recovery of precious. The non-inclusion of PV residues in waste legislation in some countries is due to different reasons. These efforts are part of an industry-led voluntary product management arrangement to address the potential emerging risks of PV systems and their waste. Hence it is vital that consumers, industry and PV producers take responsibility for the EoL of these modules. After that, the aluminum metallisation is also recovered and can be used for producing wastewater treatment chemicals as aluminum oxide [47]. All rights reserved. Summary of NEDO recycling process for Si modules (pilot project). Thin-film solar cells were developed with the aim of providing low cost and flexible geometries, using relatively small material quantities. First of all, this transition is already occurring with a help of renewable energy sources deployment, namely solar energy, since it has been showing the biggest rates of growth in the last years. It is important that specific legislation is established for PV waste management and recycling and that this step is given before the amount of waste from EoL PV modules becomes alarming, as forecast for the year 2030 [7]. The study involves a case study of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, India. Policy action is needed to address the challenges ahead, with enabling frameworks being adapted In this study, we used a Monte Carlo uncertainty model to identify the potential economic benefits of closed‐loop recycling of EoL PV modules when recycled silicon is integrated into different stages of the PV supply chain. © 2018 The Author(s). Additionally, *Address all correspondence to: r.corkish@unsw, Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Methods However, the concentrations of these elements in the leachate were within the toxicity characteristic (TC) limits. are expected to account for the largest shares of global PV waste in the future, as outlined by case studies in this report. CdTe is the most widely used thin-film technology, significant amounts of cadmium (Cd), an element, environmental problem that has been studied worldwide [37, 38]. Thin-films represent less than 10% of the total PV industry [3]. Then, the module is shredded, sorted and separated. Prospects for practical application and large-area fabrication are discussed for each material. Lastly for recycling processes aiming to generate new materials, the aim is to keep the materials intact for reuse or direct recycling, recovering the frame, glass, tabbing and solar cells without breakages and in good condition. 2012; in their manufacture use and disposal. Energy & Environmental Science. All steps of these process are presented in figure 9. The process is based on a sequence of physical (mechanical and thermal) treatments followed by acid leaching and electrolysis. It is concluded that treatment (abatement) is the only viable short-term option. Recycling photovoltaic modules. This company started recycling in 2003 with a pilot plant using a thermal process. Attention has been paid particularly to silver. The process, called the “hot knife method”, can separate the cells of a module from the glass in about 40 seconds. In addition, the recycling of solar PV modules can ensure the sustainability of the long-term supply chain [24], thereby increasing the recovery of energy and embedded materials and, also, reducing CO2 emissions and energy payback time (EPBT) related to this industry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1st, Current feasible processes. Only about 10% of PV modules are recycled worldwide. The problems with this process are that the value of the material recovered is low (as it is a downcycling process) and that the maximum amount of recovered materials is about 80%, which is not sufficient for future requirements, and the value of recovered materials is smaller than the original [25]. module recycling with organic solvent method. Total collection rate for WEEE in 2014 as a percentage of the average weight of EEE put on the market in the three preceding years (2011–2013) [8]. PV Cycle was the first to establish a PV recycling process and PV waste logistics throughout the EU. The, A company that has a well stablished c-Si recycling process, company started recycling in 2003 with a pilot plant using a thermal process. The summary of these processes is shown in Figure 8. Before going into the details of environmental impacts, brief insights on the methods used for estimating environmental impacts, both in the conventional way as well as using LCA simulation tools, are given. Although recycling processes can achieve good recycling rates and recover almost all materials from solar modules, attention must be paid to the use of toxic substances during the chemical routes of recycling and to the distance to recycling centres due to the impacts of transportation. Table 1 summarizes the recycling possibilities for silicon solar modules, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each process. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology that quantifies the environmental impacts of a process or a product. In limited cases, such as in Japan or the US, general waste regulations may include panel testing for hazardous material content as well as prescription or prohibition of specific shipment, treatment, recycling and disposal pathways. With the rapid deployment of silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies around the world, the volume of end‐of‐life (EoL) PV modules will increase exponentially in the next decade. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics. • Early-loss: Takes account of “infant”, “mid-life” and “wear-out” failures before the 30-year lifespan. The “Snapshot of Global Photovoltaic Markets” aims at providing preliminary information about how the PV market developed in the last year. As a result of the increase, the volume of modules that reach the end of their life will grow at the same rate in the near future. Waste and, silicon photovoltaic modules. 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