A huge number of solar panels have been installed in our country in recent years, both by individuals and companies. The lifespan of the a solar panel is very large, but not unlimited. This means that solar panels will have to be recycled at the end of their life. Currently there are still very few panels that need to be recycled, but over the next few years this number will increase.
PV cycle is a European non-profit organization that collects and recycles discarded panels. The network was founded by some solar panel manufacturers.
In 2010 in PV cycle effectively started recycling. There are currently 28 collection points in Belgium. You can find exactly where these points are at www.pvcycle.be Did you know that: solar panels can be almost completely recycled?
Production waste can also be recycled. The parts are taken apart and processed separately.
These are the different parts:
- Aluminum frame
- Glass
- Organic elements such as plasticMetals Al/Ag metallization
- Silicon
Recycling solar panels in 5 steps:
- Collect and take to processing plant
- Parts are taken apart and the hazardous materials are removed. The metal frame is taken off, glass and copper are separated from the rest
- THE large parts are ground
- Grading: Aluminum, glass, plastic, metals, photovotaic cells
- New raw materials: coming full circle!
Courtesy of Volta! Magazine
