Simulating circular economy for the solar industry: From waste to value

The transition to renewable energy is essential to tackling the climate crisis and enable the electrification of various industries. Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is one of the contributing industries to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy mix and reduce dependencies on fossil fuels. Consequently, the PV industry has been booming in recent years. Although PV modules last for decades, at some point they inevitably reach their End-of-Life and enter the waste stream in large quantities. Managing this waste responsibly is crucial—not only to prevent landfilling of valuable and sometimes hazardous materials, but also to make sure these materials can re-enter the economy.

Today, only a small fraction of PV modules are being recycled, and the materials recovered are often downcycled into lower-value products. Unpredictable volumes are one of the barriers to the development of a specialized recycling industry for PV waste. My research addresses this gap: I aim to develop a detailed forecast for European PV waste, including a differentiation by technology types and their material content. 

Additionally, I study how PV waste is collected. In order to reach recycling sites, the old modules need to be collected by Producer Responsibility Organizations, which are in charge of end-of-life management under the EU WEEE Directive. This process today varies wildly between European countries. In practice, these collection processes differ widely across Europe. By analyzing how efficient different national approaches are, my work aims to inform better policies and improve future regulations.

My research is embedded in the EU-Horizon project RETRIEVE, Reintegration of photovoltaic panel waste back into manufacturing as high value products.