| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
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| Symposium
|
REWAS 2025: Sustainable End-of-Life Management and Recycling Solutions for Batteries, Wind Turbines, and Photovoltaics
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| Presentation Title |
Assessing Circular Economy in Photovoltaics: Life Cycle Perspective of Material Recovery, Reuse, and Remanufacturing |
| Author(s) |
Kirula Kahanavitage Don, Sahar Shata, Haoyang He, Julie Schoenung |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kirula Kahanavitage Don |
| Abstract Scope |
The solar energy industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The industry faces significant challenges due to lack of effective end-of-life (EOL) management strategies to address the surging volume of EOL photovoltaic (PV) modules. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), the goal of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of various crystalline silicon PV modules, accounting for different designs and materials used, and assess three end-of-life scenarios: recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing. The impact of emerging PV technologies and the application of secondary materials as feedstocks are also highlighted. Comprehensive life cycle inventories and environmental impact analyses for cutting-edge PV technologies and circularity-based design approaches are discussed. Based on results, promoting circularity can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the PV module through the entire life cycle. Overall, this study offers a promising strategy to tackle the challenges and facilitate the sustainable development of the solar industry. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Sustainability, Recycling and Secondary Recovery, Environmental Effects |