The “Study on the Development of a Take-Back and Recovery System for Photovoltaic Products” was finalised during spring 2008 and served as a starting point for the work of PV CYCLE. The study was carried out by Okopol, co-funded by EPIA and BSW and sponsored by BMU. It is available in both German and English at http://www.pvcycle.org/index.php?id=45.
The study deals with PV market and technologies analysis, waste forecasts, political and legal parameters, recycling processes and techniques, eco-balance aspects (environmental impact of the different recycling options), benchmarks of a voluntary recovery systems of PV modules and logistic costs for such a system.
In December 2008, the members of PV CYCLE (currently representing more than 85% of what is sold onto the European market) signed a Declaration supported by the European Commission. It puts ahead a benchmark with the following targets: to collect a minimum of 65% of photovoltaic modules installed in Europe since 1990 and to recycle 85% of the collected waste and the promise to come up with an Environmental Agreement.
A study performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) will clear out the potential mechanisms by which the voluntary take-back and recycling scheme will be financed. For now, members have agreed to pay 0.24€/kg on 2% of the sales of 2008 in EU27 + EFTA countries to finance operations in 2010.
The first collection and recycling activity organized fully by PV CYCLE took place in Chevetogne, Belgium, in 2009; 2000 modules were collected from the oldest Belgian PV generator and recycled in Germany. The results including LCA were presented at the last EUROPVSEC in Hamburg in September 2009. (link to paper)
A recycling workshop was organized by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) during the 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) in Philadelphia on June 11th 2009. The aim was to discuss future US activities in the field of PV module collection and recycling. The collection infrastructure that PV CYCLE is setting in Europe was presented and proposed as the way to follow in the US. All the presentations held at the workshop are available in the Publication and Reports section of this website.
A study is being developed by BNL, U.S., to define a “cost optimisation model” for the collection and recycling of PV modules. For now, both Solar World’s and First Solar’s recycling schemes are included in the model, but it will be further expanded with more scenarios and processes. The results of this model have been presented by Jun-Ki Choi at the 1st International Recycling Conference in Berlin, Germany on January 26, 2010. (link???)
The 1st International Conference on PV Module Recycling will be organized in Europe by EPIA and PV Cycle in the second half of 2009. Some industries have already shown a lot of interest in organizing this event. The main discussion will be focus on technical aspects for recycling c-Si and all Thin Film technologies, as well as how to finance a future recycling plant in Europe.
A number of papers related to PV Module Recycling have been published during 2008 and can be found at the Publications and Reports Area.