Quantification of Technical Recyclability of PV Modules for Different Recycling Scenarios

In the context of recyclability indices, the highest quality in calculating the recyclability values should be aimed for. Additionally, such high-quality calculations are also of fundamental interest in design for recycling in order to both quantify the status-quo and to monitor potential improvements. Calculations to quantify the recyclability of PV products are standardized by EN 45555. These calculations require detailed material specific recycling rate data for the relevant recycling processes. Frequently, there is lack of such data. Further, these calculations do not discriminate by the quality of recycling. Both challenges, the lack of recycling rate data and the lack of information about recycling quality, undermining the informative value of recyclability results are addressed in this paper. The recycling rate database recently presented by some of the authors is expanded and applied to PV module recycling. Moreover, the typical classification into “recycled” and “lost” is expanded by introducing four recycling categories including the assessment which recycled material can be used in the production of new PV modules. The technical recyclability of exemplary PV modules is calculated for five recycling scenarios ranging from 18% in worst-case mechanical recycling to 80% in advanced recycling facilities.