A new perspective for evaluating circularity of photovoltaic module recycling and technology developments

Climate change mitigation requires large-scale deployment of photovoltaics (PV) for electricity generation. While reducing reliance on fossil fuels, PV manufacturing demands resources. Circular designs, which include reuse, reduce, and recycling, help minimize environmental impact but can be complex. Here, we revise the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) into rMCI, which is more relevant to PV deployment, as it accounts for changes in PV demand over time. A new Energy Circularity Indicator (ECI) is also introduced, recognizing differences in material and energy intensities in PV modules. These indicators are applied to the years 2037 and 2050. Results show that the merits of each circularity strategy such as extending product lifetime, recycling, and technology developments are different depending on installed capacity and whether the circularity strategy is material or energy intensive. For example, strategies favoring ECI, such as high-power bifacial modules, are not optimal for rMCI, highlighting the importance of evaluating circular economy from more than one (e.g., energy and material) perspective, through rMCI and ECI, especially for PV modules. • Evaluate circularity of photovoltaic module recycling and technology developments • Reports revised material and new energy circularity indicators, rMCI and ECI, respectively • rMCI and ECI lead to different conclusions, highlighting the need for multifaceted analyses Photovoltaics play a key role in clean energy production, but they also exert pressure on various manufacturing and resource chains. Here, Leung et al. refine the material circularity indicator and introduce an energy circularity indicator to inform circular economy strategies for photovoltaics.