End-of-Life (EOL) Recycling Workgroup

Photovoltaics (PV) technology has made significant penetration into the renewable energy market since the early 1990’s and global installed capacity is expected to reach xxx gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2030.

The life expectancy of a PV module is now 25 + years but it can be assumed that many of the earlier modules could be retired soon, or replaced with new and more efficient low-cost PV technologies.

A pro-active issue now needs to be found on how to decommission these modules and how to sensibly dispose or preferably recycle these materials in a sustainable way without causing new environmental implications.

SOLARUNITED intends to bring the key stakeholders together to define best practices for EOL panel disposal that will set the global standard for the PV industry for decades to come….

Partners to be included

Module manufacturers
Institutions
Research Entities
Testing Laboratories
Investors
Banks
Recycling Entities
Raw Material Suppliers

SCOPE OF WORK
To create an industrial platform for discussion on EOL with the following purposes:

Collect data and experiences from the different working groups on EOL
Collect the experiences at institutional level in the different countries
Quantify the financial cost/benefit balance for the different strategies
Quantify the environmental impact
Identify the area of possible intervention to
- Minimize the environmental impact
- Improve the financial benefit of recycling modules
Translate the different findings into recommendation for real good industrial practices
Promote initiative to disseminate the culture of design for recycling and increase consciousness (seminars, workshops, white paper, press releases…)

Workgroup Leaders: Jan Grimberg (DSM), Luigi Marras (Coveme), Michele Vannini (Coveme)