Photovoltaics Re-X 🦖: Maximizing Environmental Benefit

Susan Huang1& Noreen E. Gentry2 1Solar Energy Technologies Office, Department of Energy, Washington, DC, United States /2Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States

Timely renewable energy deployment is a critical to mitigate climate change caused by global heating. The Solar Futures study models that nearly 500 GW of solar deployment by 2035 in combination with other renewable technologies is a pathway to achieving DOE and the Biden Administration’s goals of a decarbonized U.S. electrical grid. While more than 80% of the domestic solar fleet was installed after 2017 and the operational life of a module is predicted to be more than 20 years, it is prudent to lay the foundation now for effective and low-impact handling of modules at end-of-life (EOL). This includes research and development at all stages of a module life cycle – from design to field operation to EOL. All of these have an impact on EOL volumes and the ability to extract useable material from EOL modules. Challenges to efficient EOL handling include complexities in separating high-value and low-volume materials, general recycling processing costs, developing robust end-use markets for recovered materials, and a framework for tracking and organizing waste effectively. Furthermore, some of these challenges depend on evolving policies. Technology developments can address some of the challenges but would benefit from access to data to be able to target high impact solutions effectively. Government programs and relevant policies will be covered in this as well as potential research and development opportunities to address EOL handling.