E-scrap recycling involves gathering, dismantling, and reusing discarded electronic devices, or e-waste, to recover valuable materials. Some of the materials recovered from e-waste include copper, aluminium, and gold. The hazardous substances in the e-waste are also safely managed in the process. This is an excellent way to transform electronics that are no longer needed into reusable materials. It also reduces landfill waste and the need to mine new resources.

E-scrap recycling is especially beneficial for addressing the crisis of solar panel waste. Through this process, up to 90% of valuable materials, such as copper, silver, glass, and aluminium, from decomposed models can be recovered. This is turning a significant waste stream into a circular economy resource, thereby reducing landfill accumulation and also the need to mine virgin material.

The Approval of Photovoltaic Recycling

Solar panels are manufactured from high-quality materials that could also go to waste if they were disposed of as soon as new ones are acquired. Over the years, this has been happening: the economy has been losing substantial sums of money every year as new solar panels are manufactured from fresh raw materials. E-scrap recycling is an excellent idea that seeks to cut the cost of manufacturing new solar panels and reduce overall raw material waste in the manufacturing industry.

While this has been only an idea for a very long time, it became fruitful in January 2024, when Sustainable Electronics Recycling International included Appendix G (Photovoltaic Solar panel Recycling) to the company’s R2 certificate standard. Facilities with R2 certification, which primarily handle solar panels, must, moving forward, adhere to the standards set out in Appendix G, with effect from 31st January 2027.

Stakeholders in the solar panel industry started talking to SERI when the R2V3 standard was being developed. They believed that, just like other electronic devices, solar panels can also be considered sustainable. Their most significant concern was that solar panels be considered recyclable, as this would benefit the environment more than landfilling.

Today, this certification will help prevent solar panels from becoming another CRT crisis, whereby recyclers are unable to handle the increasing volume of hazardous materials when disposing of waste. Some of the ‘waste’ can be put to good use through recycling, so we have less to send to landfills. However, the reusing and recycling of solar panels should be done in accordance with specific requirements. For example, if a solar panel is refurbished, the company must disclose its total power output for consumers to know before purchase. There should also be information regarding its repair history and the ratio of its current power to its original power.

How E-Scrap Recycling of Solar Panels is Intended to Help

There are mainly four ways in which e-scrap recycling of solar panels will be beneficial:

Material Recovery

Generally, solar panels are made from aluminium and glass. About 80% of their composition is glass, which remains intact even after years of use. The glass and aluminium from unneeded solar panels can be processed through waste separation and shredding, to become helpful in the manufacturing of more solar panels.

High-Value Extraction

Specialized e-scrap recycling facilities can carefully extract valuable materials from disposed solar panels, like silver, copper, and high-quality silicon. These can be turned into raw materials for other products or more solar panels.

Integration of the Circular Economy

Remember that not everything that we dispose of is actually waste. Some disposed products can be reused countless times, thereby saving significant amounts of money on raw materials. This can work in e-scrap recycling. If manufacturers start designing solar panels that can be easily dismantled, some materials from disposed panels can be repurposed for newer models instead of being discarded.

Diversion of Waste

This will happen when e-scrap is turned into raw materials in the production of more solar panels. While this makes raw materials readily available without the mining process, it mitigates the surge in panel disposal. Once solar panels reach the end of their 25- to 30-year lifespan, they can still be helpful rather than disposed of.

Techniques for Recycling Solar Panels

When you purchase a solar panel, it usually comes with a lifespan, which indicates how many years it will remain functional. Generally, solar panels have a lifespan of 25-30 years. After that, consumers buy new ones with greater potential to continue generating enough power for their homes or businesses. Typically, you will dispose of the panels that have already attained their lifespan because they no longer serve your interests. However, solar panels are complex and require specialized processes for proper disposal.

When it comes to e-scrap recycling, technical approaches are needed to break down solar panels and preserve the valuable materials they contain for reuse and recycling. These techniques include the following:

Glass and Aluminium Frame Separation

Proper e-scrap recycling starts with breaking down a device. Skilled technicians take it apart to remove valuable materials, such as the junction box and the aluminium frame, which together make up at least 10% of the product’s weight. Most e-scrap recycling materials do this manually for careful extraction. Also, automated systems cannot handle the task effectively, since different solar panels are designed differently and use different aluminium frames. Automated systems cannot use the same extraction techniques for all solar panel models on the market.

Skilled technicians can handle this process very well because they are already trained on what to do. They only need simple tools. Further extraction is done for the junction box and copper wiring. These are other functional components that recycling facilities find useful. They comprise valuable metals that can be used to produce different products.

Glass Pulverization

More than 75% of the weight of solar panels is glass. This means that recovering it after disposing of used solar panels is economically valuable. Although glass is not very expensive, recovered glass can still be used to produce more solar panels rather than going to waste. E-scrap recycling facilities pulverize the glass, reducing it to small or fine particles for ceramic frit. Once the valuable items like aluminium frame and copper wires are extracted, recycling facilities take the panels through crusher lines for machines to break them down into small pieces.

Thus, e-scrap recycling facilities must adapt the following to make solar panel recycling possible:

  • Crusher lines that break solar panels into small, manageable pieces
  • Glass pulverizer, to create a fine stream of glass, copper, silica, and metals
  • A way for the crushed glass to join the frit production, where it will combine with CRT glass

Thus, recycling glass from solar panels with CRT glass resolves two major waste problems at once. Glass from solar panels is used in frit mix or in ceramic manufacturing, even though current volumes are not enough to produce solar-specific frit.

Generally, these facilities recover up to 90% of a panel’s weight when recycling solar panels, most of which is glass.

Backsheet Thermal Removal

Removing the backsheet from solar panels’ glass is a significant challenge, even for e-scrap recycling facilities. Backsheets are usually made from materials such as polyvinyl fluoride to protect solar panels from UV radiation and moisture. Removing the backsheet thermal is part of the recycling process, which the facilities must carefully do to preserve useful material and dispose of the remaining waste. Here are some of the approaches that work for this process:

  • Two-step heating process, in which the facilities first remove the backsheet by heating the panels for up to 30 minutes at 330°C. Then, they heat the panels again to burn the EVA for two hours at up to 400°C. The high temperatures cause the backsheet to separate from the glass.
  • A single-step process, whereby the facilities obliterate the polymer from the panels by heating them at up to 500°C
  • The hot-knife technology, whereby the facilities use a hot knife to selectively soften the adhesive holding the backsheet and the glass together

These are the techniques that work very well on the EVA layer holding the glass to the solar cells. The high temperatures (up to 500°C) completely break down the polymer encapsulant, separating the glass, metal components, and solar panels without damaging them.

However, these thermal methods release potentially harmful gases into the environment, including carbonyl fluoride and halogenated and volatile hydrocarbons. The processing costs for these facilities increase significantly because they must invest in specialized cleaning systems to address the dangerous emissions. In this case, room-temperature processing is considered an excellent alternative, as it does not pose this risk.

There is a lot that needs to be done to make e-waste recycling a success in the United States. E-scrap recycling facilities are still evolving, and recycling techniques for various parts of solar panels continue to improve. Every new development presents an opportunity to save production costs in solar panel manufacturing. There is also the environmental benefit of e-scrap recycling, which should be considered alongside the cost-saving benefits. If this works effectively in the end, recycling facilities can turn old solar panels into valuable resources that can be utilized in the future.

Expected Challenges in E-Scrap Recycling

E-scrap recycling facilities face several challenges worth noting as you consider their contribution to reducing solar panel waste. This happens even with advancing technology, which has made things much easier than before. The most common of these challenges include the following:

Less Recovery Vs High Processing Costs

Recycling does not always make economic sense, especially if what you recover after an intensive process is not as valuable as the cost of recycling. This may push some e-scrap recycling plants out of business, especially if processing costs exceed the value of what is recovered. Generally, recycling a solar panel may cost u up to $45 while disposing of one costs only $5. This is a significant cost difference, which prompts most economies, including the United States, to recycle only a few of the disposed solar panels.

Additionally, even after paying more for recycled solar panels, the facilities only recover simple materials, such as glass and aluminum frames, which do not really sell for much. If facilities want to recover more valuable materials, such as silicon and silver, from solar panels, they must invest more in thermal processes and in expensive chemicals. Also, consider that thermal processing is not entirely safe because of the release of toxic gases into the environment.

However, e-scrap recycling facilities are not giving up yet. They are still considering better recycling strategies that will balance everything, including the costs.

Sensor and AI-Based Sorting Needed for Efficiency

Sorting is usually the most challenging step for e-scrap recycling facilities. Sorting helps companies categorize solar panels by components for a quick, effective recycling process. Fortunately, sensors and AI technology can do this very well to save time and for efficiency. If this works, these facilities will help address some of their economic challenges by recycling more solar panels with fewer resources.

However, they need vision systems that use AI to detect different materials across panels. They also need robots to quickly and precisely break the panels apart.

AI can also be used to run recycling facilities more effectively. Here are some of the ways this can work:

  • AI can improve how equipment in the recycling facilities works, by predicting maintenance and preventing downtime
  • It can increase yield for valuable materials like silver and silicon

Find a Competent Solar Panel Expert Near Me

Investing in solar makes more sense when you know that some of the solar panels you dispose of can be recycled and reused for more production. Disposed solar panels and other e-waste pose a serious environmental risk when dumped in landfills. Fortunately, they can be recycled today to recover valuable materials for the production of more solar panels. This may result in reduced costs of solar panels, which translates to more efficiency in solar power production.

If you want to learn more, we can help at Sun Solar Electric. Our solar panel experts inBay Area and Northern California are ready to answer any questions you have before investing in solar energy for your residential or business needs. Call us at 707-238-8874 to learn more.