TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN PV MODULE RECYCLING FROM VIEWPOINTS OF PATENTS AND RD PROJECTS

摘要

PV technology is the one of the most environmentally friendly technologies among all electricity generation technologies. The environmental aspects are evaluated from a life-cycle viewpoint including end-of-life management. In the case of PV modules, recycling has become an important emerging topic and various discussions and activities have been conducted and developed by governments, organizations, and companies. While the recycling of waste PV modules has already begun to be commercialized, various technologies for PV module recycling are under development in order to improve process efficiency, economics, recovery and recycling rates, and environmental performance. To meet the needs for future recycling and recovery operations, further efforts, including the acceleration of technology R&D, are expected. In this report, an overview of technology trends in relation to PV module recycling is given from the perspectives of patents and R&D projects, and expected upcoming issues related to PV module recycling technologies are addressed.