Recycling of photovoltaic modules - legal status, technology, market prospects

Jakub Łukasik; Jan Wajs

Recycling of photovoltaic modules - legal status, technology, market prospects

Abstract

The increase in the number of manufactured and installed photovoltaic modules and the growing concern about the insufficient supply of pure silicon imply the need to take action to develop infrastructure for recycling PV modules. The article presents a multifaceted analysis of the current state of development of the photovoltaic module recycling sector from a global and national perspective. The essence of the issue was introduced in the context of the rapid growth of the solar energy sector in recent years. Various technologies for the production of PV cells were presented, categorized according to their generations. The available methods of recycling the most popular on the market silicon crystal modules (I generation) and thin-film modules (II generation) were presented, as well as innovative techniques that are currently in the stage of laboratory research. The current legal status dedicated to recycling processes and requirements for effective waste processing are discussed. In the face of the ongoing energy transformation and forecasts on the increase in installed capacity in photovoltaics in Poland and worldwide, the prospects for the development of this market in the future have been outlined.