Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Waste Volumes
Summary
Beyond general waste regulations, several approaches have been developed specifically to manage end-of life PV panel waste. This series of issues summarizes examples illustrating the general principles of panel waste management as well as voluntary, public-private partnerships and regulated approaches.
Waste Management Principles for PV Panels Lifecycle Methodology
All waste management strategies are based on the stages of a product’s lifespan. Figure 1 depicts how the PV panel life cycle begins with raw material extraction and concludes with disposal (cradle to grave) or reuse, recycling, and recovery. Green process opportunities from cradle to grave:
• Reduction;
• Reuse;
• Recycle.
Responsibilities and Stakeholders
The following three key stakeholders are normally responsible for downstream waste management operations (waste creation, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal):
A. Social Organization
Government agencies regulate and administer tax-financed operations, thus end-of-life management is supported by society. This can produce cash for towns while also removing the fixed costs of constructing a new collecting infrastructure and allowing for economies of scale.
Lack of competition and slower cost optimization are two disadvantages. End-of-life management, including correct treatment and disposal of panel waste, is the responsibility of the panel waste maker.
The consumer’s desire to save money may have an adverse effect on the development of sound trash collection and treatment. Because the manufacturer isn’t participating, there’s a chance it won’t work out.
B. Producers
The concept of extended manufacturer responsibility underpins end-of-life management. This makes manufacturers physically and financially responsible for their goods’ environmental affects until they are no longer in use, and it encourages the creation of greener, lower-impact products.
This idea may also be applied to obtain cash for collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal systems that are appropriate. Although manufacturers pay for the waste management system, consumers may face higher costs as a result of the increased expense.
Financing and costs The three stakeholders (society, consumers, and producers) will have to decide who will pay for end-of life management. Costs are incurred in all waste management methods, including e-waste. This also applies to end-of-life situations.
1. A Collection, Storage / Collection, Treatment, Recovery, Recycling, and Disposal Physical System:
For example, this system collects PV panels from various waste generating locations and transports them to a more central place where first-level processing may begin.
The diverse material streams must be further processed for recovery and recycling after this initial processing stage, which commonly divides the waste product into material groups (e.g. metals, mixed plastics, glass, etc.).
This procedure eliminates potentially dangerous contaminants and impurities from recovered materials, which would otherwise prohibit them from being recycled.
Finally, the physical system must handle the disposal of nonrecoverable, non-recyclable fractions. The expenses of maintaining this physical system are determined by a number of things. The geographical and economic setting, as well as the quantity of picks, are all factors to consider.
2. A Financial Transaction System:
That tallies the quantities of various materials recovered from the recycling process, as well as the system’s profits and expenditures.
3. A System for Management and Funding:
This approach considers the whole expenses of running an e-waste system, such as for PV panels. Around the world, many pricing models have been devised and implemented to offer a financial foundation for recycling end-of-life items. When end-of-life items are
released to the public, a portion of these costs is set aside to fund the trash treatment system.
Options for Disposing of PV Panels:
Municipalities, dealers, distributors, manufacturers, and their service providers all have collection locations. Fees are usually established according to a few criteria to guarantee that they are fair and reasonable, and that they are updated on a regular basis based on
real program costs:
• Fees should be based on return on investment, technical, and administrative costs in order to pay system costs and satisfy explicit environmental objectives. Fees for collection, recycling, and treatment should be enough to pay the expenses of implementation.
• The fee structure should be established in such a way that it does not make the PV industry less competitive in international markets. Free providers should be avoided at all costs.
• The charge structure should be straightforward to execute, and it should apply to all PV goods that are subject to the rule. In our next article, we will continue with financing
models for the collection, processing, recovery, recycling and disposal of PV panels.
Dr. Cemil Koyunoğlu
Yalova University
Engineering Faculty
Department of Energy Systems Engineering
