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A fresh assessment from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) reveals notable progress in solar module recycling efficiency relative to earlier evaluations, encompassing greater material retrieval rates, enhanced process efficiencies, and superior output purity.
The updated Task 12 report introduces revised life cycle inventory data, drawing on information from two commercial crystalline silicon module recyclers based in the United States—Solarcycle and SPR—alongside Italy’s pilot-scale recycler 9-Tech, the European Union-funded Photorama initiative, and revised global data on cadmium telluride modules from U.S. thin-film manufacturer First Solar.
According to the document, recovery rates for valuable materials have risen markedly compared to a 2024 analysis, where the baseline mechanical-only recycling method failed to retrieve silicon or silver. In the latest findings, SPR achieves a 98 weight percent recovery of input silicon through a purely mechanical commercial-scale process, while 9-Tech attains 95 weight percent silicon recovery in a pilot setup combining mechanical, thermal, and chemical techniques.
The IEA-PVPS also underscores the retrieval of non-ferrous metals such as silver, aluminum, and copper, describing this as a fresh achievement for mechanical processes operating at scale. Solarcycle reports recovering nearly 92 weight percent of silver and roughly 95 weight percent of copper, whereas SPR documents 99 percent copper recovery. In its pilot system, 9-Tech reaches recovery levels of 95 weight percent for copper, 90 weight percent for silver, and 90 weight percent for aluminum. First Solar reports retrieving over 90 weight percent of semiconductor material and more than 90 weight percent of metals beyond the semiconductor components.
Advancements in output purity are also highlighted, boosting the value of reclaimed materials. The Photorama project attains 5N purity for silicon and over 2N purity for silver. SPR achieves 99 percent purity for recovered copper and other trace metals via mechanical processing, while 9-Tech obtains up to 95 percent purity for copper and silver in reclaimed metallic powders.
Glass recovery has advanced from 2024 benchmarks, the report notes, with improvements in mechanical, thermal, and alternative separation methods—such as flash lamp separation and water jet cleaning—delivering high glass yield and purity, though potentially requiring more energy than purely mechanical approaches.
The IEA-PVPS report outlines that uses for recovered materials are broadening. Reclaimed silicon is being applied in battery anodes, sputter targets, and metallurgical-grade products, while non-ferrous metals are directed to metal recyclers, smelters, and refineries, thereby lessening dependence on virgin resources. Evidence also indicates that recovered glass is being reused in flat glass manufacturing.
Despite these gains, the report emphasizes ongoing deficiencies in material quality reporting, system boundary harmonization, and energy consumption characterization. It recommends that additional data on downstream usage and treatment routes would aid future efforts to quantify material recovery, energy recovery, and landfill disposal, thereby enhancing evaluations of reuse pathways in subsequent updates.
The report concludes that sustained cooperation among recyclers, researchers, policymakers, and standards organizations is crucial for improving data consistency, steering research and development priorities, and fostering circular, high-value channels for photovoltaic materials. A forthcoming Task 12 study will conduct life cycle assessment-based analyses to evaluate the life-cycle implications of various PV recycling routes.
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