Life Cycle Analysis of Solar Module Recycling Process
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0895-G03-07.1
Life Cycle Analysis of Solar Module Recycling Process Anja Müller 1, Karsten Wambach1 and Erik Alsema2 1 Deutsche Solar AG, Solar Material, Alfred Lange Straße 18, 09599 Freiberg, Germany 2 Science, Technology and Society, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands ABSTRACT Since June 2003 Deutsche Solar AG is operating a recycling plant for modules with crystalline solar silicon cells. The aim of the process is to recover the silicon wafers so that they can be reprocessed and integrated in modules again. The aims of the Life Cycle Analysis of the mentioned process are (i) the verification if the process is beneficial regarding environmental aspects, (ii) the comparison to other end-of-life scenarios, (iii) the ability to include the end-oflife phase of modules in future LCA of photovoltaic modules. The results show that the recycling process makes good ecological sense, because the environmental burden during the production phase of reusable components is higher than the burden due to the recycling process. Moreover the Energy Pay Back Time of modules with recycled cells was determined.
INTRODUCTION In recent years a rapid growth of the production capacity and installation of photovoltaic modules has been observed. For the next decades a growth of 15% is predicted [1]. Due to their long lifetime the amount of end-of-life modules is still relatively small. It is estimated to be about 14 MWp in 2006 [2], and this quantity will increase rapidly as the PV market grows. In Europe alone, the emergence of end-of-life modules is estimated to be 290 tons in 2010 and 33,500 tons in 2040.Other concepts for recycling crystalline photovoltaic modules were examined in scientific studies, but none of them was realized in an industrial scale until now. Regarding the growing quantity of end-of-life modules producers of photovoltaic products have to take the responsibility of the final treatment. Due to the curtness of silicon, it is necessary to establish a recycling concept for all kinds of photovoltaic modules that regards environmental aspects and statutory regulations. Competing technologies to high-value processes like the one of Deutsche Solar AG are low-value recycling technologies like the treatment in a recycling plant for laminated glass or disposal on a landfill after treatment in a municipal incineration plant.
RECYCLING PROCESS OF DEUTSCHE SOLAR AG SolarMaterial, a business unit of Deutsche Solar AG is engaged in various recycling loops along the succession of production steps from silicon as raw material to photovoltaic modules. The presented study deals only with the module recycling process. Regarding a sustainable use of silicon as raw material, the other recycling activities are just as important.
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Recycling activities along the production steps from ingot growing to module assembly: -
sides of multi crystalline ingots bottom of multi crystalline ingots tops of multi crystalline ingots (partly) broken wafers faulty processed cells cell breakage production rejec
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