Recycling of Photovoltaic Panels: Process Development and Technology Transfer During the Last Ten Years

Research and development in photovoltaic panel (PVP) recycling have evolved to maximize recovery, including less valuable but non-renewable materials. Early recycling relied on low-cost physical processes but failed to produce glass pure enough for the glass industry, except for construction. A process involving crushing, sieving, thermal treatment, fine fraction leaching, and wastewater treatment required 75,000 tons/year capacity to achieve a payback time under 6 years. High-value recovery requires advanced methods to separate glass from the encapsulant, ensuring rein-tegration into glass production. A solvent-based process, tested at the pilot scale, proved technically and economically feasible. Without metal recovery, it remains viable at 30,000 tons/year, producing high-purity glass. Further developments enabled 82% recycling rates, including polymeric and metallic recovery, potential thermal valorization of EVA, and backsheets recycling. Economic analyses highlight challenges in a complete refining process, particularly for Ag and Si recovery. The Ag content in PVP has declined from 0.2% to 0.02% w/w in two decades. At 0.05-0.2% Ag, a 5-year payback is possible for 43,000-18,000 tons/year. Lower Ag levels require higher recycling volumes or supportive measures (e.g., EoL fees) to remain profitable.