Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-01-20 Origin: Site
We know that after solar modules are used for some time, they will be discarded and recycled. So how do solar modules be recycled? Let's take a look together next.
Here is the content list:
Waste and recycling
Types of technologies for recycling solar modules
CdTe and CIGS solar modules contain cadmium, which is a toxic heavy metal that tends to accumulate in the food chain. The solder used in the installation of solar modules also contains lead. The remaining solar modules will pollute the soil, just like the bankruptcy of a solar farm, leaving damaged solar modules on site. According to research estimates, by 2050, the amount of solar module waste will reach 78 million tons. Most parts of solar modules can be recycled, including up to 95% of certain semiconductor materials or glass and large amounts of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Some private companies and non-profit organizations are currently engaged in the recycling and recycling of scrap solar modules. The law requires manufacturers to ensure that their solar modules are recycled properly.
A comment2 A study in 021 showed that by 2035, the weight of waste solar modules will exceed 2.56 times that of new solar modules, and the cost of recycling a single solar module will reach US$20-30, which will make solar modules When analyzing the market, as of 2021, there is no similar legislation in the market. HBR pointed out that the cost of sending it to landfills is only 1-2 US dollars, so discarding decommissioned solar modules may There is a great economic motivation for sending them to landfills. In the disassembly of low-tech solar modules in low-income countries, most of the toxic elements of solar modules are eventually released into the environment, and the possibility of recycling in mandatory recycling legislation depends on the type of technology used in solar modules.
Solar module: The aluminum frame of the solar module and the junction box are manually removed at the beginning of the process. Then the solar modules are crushed in a mill and separated into different parts, solar module glass, solar module plastic, and solar module metal. More than 80% of the incoming weight of solar modules can be recycled. This process can be carried out by solar module flat glass recyclers because the shape and composition of solar modules are similar to the flat glass used in the construction and automotive industries. For example, recycled glass is easily accepted by the glass foam and glass insulation industries.
Non-silicon-based solar modules: Solar modules require specific recycling technologies, such as the use of chemical baths to separate different semiconductor materials. For cadmium telluride solar modules, the recycling process first crushes the solar modules and then separates the different parts. The recycling process aims to recover up to 90% of the glass and 95% of the semiconductor materials from solar modules. In recent years, private companies have established some commercial-scale recycling facilities for solar modules.
For aluminum flat reflectors: By using a thin layer of aluminum coating (approximately 0.016 mm to 0.024 mm) in non-recyclable solar modules to make reflectors, the trend of reflectors has been promoted.
The manufacturer of Anhui JF Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (JF Solar) conducts unified treatment of waste and recycled solar modules and reduces environmental hazards. If you are interested in solar modules, please contact us. Our website is https://www.f-solar tech.com/.
