The other side of renewables – end of life and circularity of solar panels

This problem has received some attention, in the form of innovation projects. However, these have essentially focused on improving the efficiency of the panels' production capacity, and studies on the dismantling and recycling of end-of-life panels are rarely considered.

However, there are already some studies and projects worldwide that have tried to meet the implementation of these processes, considering that the recovery of generated waste can support the implementation of recycling processes as an economically viable option. The recycling of photovoltaic panels can, in fact, save on the extraction of natural resources and reduce the cost of production by incorporating the waste generated in the production of new panels. This is, for example, the case of silicon: with the reuse of this material, the costs associated with its reincorporation will be lower compared to its production costs, since the production of silicon is a process that involves high energy consumption 1.

Currently, in Portugal, the recovery, recycling or recovery processes of the different materials that make up the photovoltaic panels are practically non-existent or poorly structured. In this context, and with the identified need to implement a system for dismantling and recycling photovoltaic panels, INEGI, in partnership with E-Cycle - Association of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Producers, sought to create a solution.

This project aimed to analyze and evaluate the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of installing and implementing a production line aimed at dismantling and recycling photovoltaic panels, with the consequent recovery of the materials present in their composition.

The execution of the project was divided into two phases, the first of which was dedicated to the technical, economic and environmental analysis of the photovoltaic panel recycling processes. To this end, 16 comparative scenarios of various processes and sub-processes were analyzed, with the aim of finding viable and sustainable options for implementing the recycling of these panels. Investments and costs, CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and OPEX (Operational Expenditure), respectively, involved in the implementation of the production lines were analysed, as well as cost-benefit indicators, namely Return on Investment (ROI) and the period of Payback.

In a second phase, the potential of companies in the national market with an interest in incorporating materials from the recycling process of photovoltaic panels was analyzed. Although the analysis sample was reduced, relative to the universe under consideration, interest was identified for most of the materials that make up photovoltaic panels, namely with regard to aluminum, tempered glass, EVA (vinyl acetate), silicon and shredded copper, with the larger companies located in the northern region being the ones that most showed this interest.

The recycling of photovoltaic panels is therefore considered critical, and it is essential to analyze industrial symbioses, in order to understand in greater detail the interest of companies in exchanging resources and benefits. The need to value the materials that make up these panels can make manufacturers more responsible for their recovery, contributing to a circular economy, thus reducing the extraction of virgin raw materials.

It was found throughout the study that sharing information is still a real challenge, and it is necessary to boost communication between organizations, reduce business secrecy and promote synergies that, if created, will bring benefits to both parties, whether for society and for the country.