By 2030, China abandoned photovoltaic modules can produce 1.45 million tons of 1.45 million tons of 1.1 million tons of carbon steel, glass, plastic, 260000 tons, 170000 tons of copper and 50000 tons of aluminum silicon and 550 tons of silver.

Europe is the most mature pv recycling regulatory system, the rest of the world and there is no regulation to force recycling of photovoltaic modules.

Enjoy in their roof mount photovoltaic modules, solar power generation has become more and more popular. These low carbon pioneer ever wondered, decades later, how to disposal of these large photovoltaic modules?

In nearly a decade, China has become a global pv installed capacity of the first countries, policies and regulations about photovoltaic modules recycling is blank. Study of photovoltaic modules few recycling enterprises and institutions, even for the environmental protection organization, it is also a topic that has yet to begin to pay close attention to.

According to the international renewable energy agency, the international energy agency pv system project report, in 2014, abandoned photovoltaic modules for less than one over one thousand of the electronic waste; By 2050, will reach 078 million tons, the global commodity market value will be $15 billion.

"Photovoltaic modules of garbage will soon be a sharp increase in the future, therefore, we suggest that countries can start preparing now." One of the authors of the report, the national renewable energy laboratory Gavin ˙ heath, Ph.D., told reporters.

It is still early retirement, no concern

Photovoltaic modules recycling at home did not cause enough attention, because they are retired and period of time.

In 2015, the China renewable energy society, under the support of the pv branch of a known as the "search for the best photovoltaic components" activity in northwest, southwest and other places. Active side found running of nearly 30 years old components, although the process is rough, support bar has rust corrosion, but this batch of photovoltaic (pv) are still in power generation.

Because of the power generation efficiency drops, photovoltaic panels of design life is generally for 25 years, actual operation can be more than 25 years.

"2020 years later, the photovoltaic modules by began to increase significantly." The prediction from the Chinese academy of sciences institute of electrical and renewable energy power generation system research, national "twelfth five-year" period, they undertook the national 863 project subtasks photovoltaic equipment recycle and disposal technology "research". This is one of the few national related research in our country at present.

Pv manufacturers trina solar co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "trina solar") research and development department senior manager Xiong Zhen also predicted that 2020 as the starting point of the waste components problem: "is small, maybe only 5 mw, less than 500 tons, and construction waste than is a drop in the bucket." W (W) is the power unit of the photovoltaic modules, a watt component can be sent once a year, 5 mw photovoltaic components of electric only equivalent to a three thousands a year in residential area.

China pv enterprises early supply to foreign and domestic large-scale installation of photovoltaic modules from the beginning in 2009, in order to digest the photovoltaic overcapacity, countries support the implementation of the "golden sun demonstration project", such as financial aid, science and technology support and market pull way, speed up the industrialization and large-scale development of the domestic photovoltaic power generation.

863 research forecasts the future of photovoltaic modules recovery scale, in the case of a power plant operation maintenance good, to the total amount of waste will reach nearly 2034 60 gigawatts (gw), in the case of a power plant operation maintenance conditions, estimates are that more than 2034 gw in 2034, the cumulative amount of waste will be. The equivalent of forty million electricity consumption of the family.

Yingli green energy holding co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as yingli) further measure result: by 2030, China abandoned photovoltaic modules can produce 1.45 million tons of 1.45 million tons of 1.1 million tons of carbon steel, glass, plastic, 260000 tons, 170000 tons of copper and 50000 tons of aluminum silicon and 550 tons of silver.

The compulsory recycling

Although, there are few research and development of photovoltaic enterprises in China, but they have and the international community.

A well-known institutions in the field of photovoltaic (pv) recycling is a non-profit organization PVCYCLE in Belgium. PV is short for photovoltaic (PV), the CYCLE is recycled. Photovoltaic installation in the early 1990 s, Europe began to rise, in 2007, in order to really different from traditional energy sources, become from green electricity to the waste management "double green" products, PVCYCLE arises at the historic moment.

Since its founding as a waste management platform, PVCYCLE pv modules for the eu manufacturers, sales and installation and importers to provide collection and recycling service. In 2010-2015, the group recycling component is equivalent to more than one hundred million of tinned cola bottles and two thousand more than two thousand bottles.

Originally founded, PVCYCLE members belong to voluntary to join. In early 2014, the discarded electronic electrical equipment (WEEE) directive will include photovoltaic components, scrap photovoltaic modules and household appliances as a kind of product, the current and historical installation should be mandatory recycling.

In fact, before the WEEE compulsory, for half of the members is a Chinese company. "Like the other members, the Chinese enterprises for sustainable waste management show the same high commitment." PVCYCLE pr director pija ˙ alina ˙ Lange said. Trina solar was also the highest PVCYCLE council President - association regulation and guidance.

According to the different national policy, members need to pay a membership fee and pay the processing fee. "Expenses according to national requirements and market size, market share of big companies also pay much more. In general, the collection and recycling of waste existing in the current account for only a small part of total cost, the management history and future of waste components is a big head." Pija said.

Dr Gavin ˙ heath told reporters that Europe has the most mature pv recycling regulatory system, the rest of the world and there is no provision for compulsory recycling of photovoltaic modules.

PVCYCLE also affected other countries and regions. Ja solar co., LTD., one of the Egyptian mentioned components recycling project, because the developer is a European.

Domestic Chinese enterprises strategy have also been infected. In 2009, the first to join PVCYCLE yingli is the earliest domestic company to carry out research in recycling. "In 2010, we organized to counter the problem of photovoltaic rumors, recycle and harmless of the problem is big projects in the future." Yingli's chief technology officer of song, yuan said. Is one of the first batch of products of the company in 1998 in sichuan poverty alleviation project of rural power light, then just also use for more than a decade.

The company to carry out research in photovoltaic modules is not much, according to reporter understanding, may only a handful of companies such as yingli and trina solar. "And the treatment of electronic waste has difference, r&d just right now, can have four or five years of technical reserves." Trina solar is responsible for research and development of Xiong Zhen said their project just launched more than a year.

Other company's domestic operations are still waiting to see. Ja solar FuSenGui market director introduces, ja's current emphasis is placed on power plant operation and maintenance.

In addition to the company, China environmental science research institute of photovoltaic industry impact on the environment and environmental management study, also involving the recycled content.

"Now scrap components are very few, the experiment have difficulty looking for waste components. In the field of recycling, the European Union also have projects, technical route and research and development stage with the Chinese." Central astri project director jing-yang liu researcher said, "but not strong in China, foreign research project supported declaration we are participating in renewable energy major projects, including recycling".

What kind of recycling mode the most commercial prospects

Crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules including components and thin-film batteries, on the market operation of more than ninety percent belong to the former, recycling research has focused on this.

For photovoltaic modules afford sand the rain erosion, component production through rigorous testing, to minus 40 degrees Celsius 80 degrees centigrade high temperature and low temperature cycle thousands of times. Late prophase strong build, however, is the problem of recycling, "the stronger the better production time, wait until to opening is very troublesome." Xiong Zhen said.

At present our country physical method, a variety of technical route parallel pyrolysis method, etc, are still in the stage of laboratory research and development. Early production components can consider later recovery? Song, yuan remember France has had such attempts, replacing bonding component with vacuum packaging technology, in order to realize "recycling" 100%, but it is a selling point technology is not mature at present.

Compared with research and development of difficulty, more difficult is the embodiment of the commercial value.

A photovoltaic modules weighed about 10 kilograms, apart, glass and aluminum frame is occupied more than 80% of the weight, the most valuable of conductive silver pulp is only about 6 grams. Yingli for crystalline silicon components recycling calculates the economic benefits, component recycling, about 5% of gross but this does not include transportation costs.

Our pv power station is located in the remote, transportation is a big problem. Also in PVCYCLE, recycling also is often the potential benefits in the investment in infrastructure and the transportation cost cancel out. "Now because of scrap is too little." Pija explained, "so we across Europe range finding partners, through economies of scale and competition mechanism, in the pursuit of the highest standard of recycling and keep prices low."

Currently, the eu's company did not get government subsidies. For how to improve the benefit of pija seem to be very optimistic: "the key is in the next few years to improve the amount of waste." With the help of the association, the recovery has reached more than 90%.

Song, yuan also very bullish on the market. He thinks that after a period of time, the cost of processing components can cover the cost, crystalline silicon components can cycle development. Yingli is expected in the country during the period of "much starker choices-and graver consequences-in" to build a production line, and gradually formed their own industry to make a profit. "Country in the future will focus on support for recycle and disposal technology, with or without project support, we are a production line at the meeting."

At the same time, he also argues that may follow the eu PVCYCLE mode, through membership, let capable member enterprise to have demand but no ability of enterprises to provide related services and gain economic benefits.

On the business model, urban and environment, associate professor at Peking University TongXin group in shandong province as an example, proposed three kinds of situations: 1. The economies of scale: according to the transportation cost minimization assumption, the province set up a centralized circulation treatment facilities; 2. Market orientation: in two of the most densely populated metropolitan area (near jinan and Qingdao) establish centralized circulation treatment facilities; Producer responsibility 3. Situation: from 6 production companies use production location provide circulation processing facilities. The results show that the producer responsibility extending scenario with the best cost benefit.

TongXin told reporters repeatedly stressed, however, such research needs more data to support.

In subsidies, fund subsidy of waste household appliances is a kind of producer responsibility system, electrical home appliances manufacturing enterprises in the production of related products will increase the amount of the subsidy in foundation and then approved by the national related ministries and commissions and send home appliances recycling enterprise. If little, hair more, fund balance of payments imbalance, will lead to the recycling of waste household appliances.