The commercial value of recycling waste photovoltaic panels

In 2014, the European Union promulgated a decree, and the 27 EU member states will gradually implement the "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" (WEEE) regulations on the recycling of photovoltaic modules.

At present, the WEEE (2002/96) decree has entered the third stage, and the recovery rate of photovoltaic modules that have reached the end of their service life will be 85% and the reuse rate will be 80%. All photovoltaic modules in Europe must be affixed with the "wheeliebin" logo designed by WEEE to show compliance, otherwise they will not be allowed to enter the EU market.

In addition, the EU has established the Photovoltaic Recycling Organization (PVCYCLE) from green power generation to waste management. It is understood that half of the members of the organization are Chinese companies. PVCYCLE recycles scrapped components according to the policies of different countries. Members of the organization only need to pay membership fees and pay processing fees.

In France, a photovoltaic module recycling plant built by Veolia in cooperation with PVCycle and the French Renewable Energy Union was put into operation in 2018. Because silicon crystal components are made of 65-75% glass, 10-15% aluminum frame, 10% plastic and 3-5% silicon materials. By using smart robots, 95% of its materials can be dismantled, sorted, processed and recycled.

PVCYCLE predicts that global photovoltaic module recycling will become an industry with a total value of US$12 billion by 2035. By then, the photovoltaic module recycling business will not only be beneficial to the environment, but also bring another business opportunity to the photovoltaic industry.

Suny Group : http://www.sunyrecycle.com/，All rights reserved。