Path to Easier Recycling of Solar Modules
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the use of femtosecond lasers to form glass-to-glass welds for solar modules would make the panels easier to recycle.
The researchers conducted a proof-of-concept study. The welds would eliminate the need for plastic polymer sheets laminated into solar modules but make recycling more difficult. “At the end of their useful lifespan, the modules made with the laser welds can be shattered”, the information said. “The glass and metal wires running through the solar cells can be easily recycled and the silicon can be reused.”
“Most recyclers would confirm that the polymers are the main issue in terms of inhibiting the process of recycling,” David Young was quoted. The senior scientist and group manager for the High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics group in the Chemistry and Nanoscience department at NREL is the lead author of a new paper outlining the use of laser welds for solar modules. The paper, “Towards Polymer-Free, Femto-Second Laser-Welded Glass/Glass Solar Modules,” appears in the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10443029?source=authoralert).
(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 2/2024, Page 36, Graphic by Al Hicks, Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
