Recycling Waste Solar Panels (c-Si & CdTe) in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Solar energy industries are one of the fastest-growing industries in the global energy market. Between 2018 and 2019, installed capacity in Sweden increased by 70%. This is due to a combination of declining PV module and inverter costs, as well as  increased conversion to fossil-free energy production to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, solar PVs have a 25-year life span, and soon many deployed PVs would soon reach their end of life (EoL), it is, therefore, important to organize for the EoL of PVs in order to recover precious resources and recycle PV modules in a sustainable manner. Currently, less than 10% of global solar cell waste is recycled, due to the lack of incentives for recycling in most countries. In the European Union, used-up modules are governed by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which requires the collection of 85% of solar cell waste, with at least 80% of the waste being prepared for reuse or recycling. Solar cell waste has not amounted to significant volumes in Sweden, due to the lack of no known systems for recycling. Used-up modules are currently collected and managed as electronic waste in one of two approved collection systems in Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to analyze and assess methods of recycling waste solar panels in Sweden and is it economically viable to set up a solar waste recycling center before it reaches the right amount of waste. Moreover, the main focus is on the analysis and comparison of the environmental impacts of various recycling methods for crystalline silicon (c-Si) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels. To recycle solar panel waste, the elements of these panels must be assessed from both an economic point of view as well as environmental impacts. Today, the most common PV panels in the global market and also Sweden are c-Si and CdTe types. The results showed except for the pyrolysis method, the environmental impacts of both c-Si and CdTe PV panels from the thermal-based recycling methods, are lower than chemical methods. Furthermore, the extraction of Al, Si, and glass from c-Si and the extraction of glass from CdTe has a less environmental impact than the current techniques used in the recycling of PV panels. Finally, in this study, we revealed which materials can be prioritized for maximum economic and environmental advantages from recycling. In c-Si modules, these are Ag, Al, Si, and glass and in CdTe modules, these are Te, Cu, and glass. Currently, investing in a new solar module recycling center in Sweden is not economically viable. Because the possibility of such an investment requires economic and political incentives. Given that by 2042 the volume of Swedish solar waste will not reach the minimum level of profitability to build a new specialized center for the recycling of solar modules, the best decision is to modify the existing plants in Sweden to recover expensive and vital materials.