Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

Cumulative photovoltaic (PV) power installed in 2016 was equal to 305 GW. Five countries (China, Japan, Germany, the USA, and Italy) shared about 70% of the global power. End-of-life (EoL) management of waste PV modules requires alternative strategies than landfill, and recycling is a valid option....

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Main Authors: Idiano D’Adamo, Michela Miliacca, Paolo Rosa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:International Journal of Photoenergy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4184676
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author Idiano D’Adamo
Michela Miliacca
Paolo Rosa
author_facet Idiano D’Adamo
Michela Miliacca
Paolo Rosa
author_sort Idiano D’Adamo
collection DOAJ
description Cumulative photovoltaic (PV) power installed in 2016 was equal to 305 GW. Five countries (China, Japan, Germany, the USA, and Italy) shared about 70% of the global power. End-of-life (EoL) management of waste PV modules requires alternative strategies than landfill, and recycling is a valid option. Technological solutions are already available in the market and environmental benefits are highlighted by the literature, while economic advantages are not well defined. The aim of this paper is investigating the financial feasibility of crystalline silicon (Si) PV module-recycling processes. Two well-known indicators are proposed for a reference 2000 tons plant: net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPBT). NPV/size is equal to −0.84 €/kg in a baseline scenario. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted, in order to improve the solidity of the obtained results. NPV/size varies from −1.19 €/kg to −0.50 €/kg. The absence of valuable materials plays a key role, and process costs are the main critical variables.
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language English
publishDate 2017-01-01
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spelling doaj-art-95c27f433fea47c4ae6f99b9b2da536f2025-08-20T03:20:33ZengWileyInternational Journal of Photoenergy1110-662X1687-529X2017-01-01201710.1155/2017/41846764184676Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic ModulesIdiano D’Adamo0Michela Miliacca1Paolo Rosa2Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Via G. Gronchi 18, 67100 L’Aquila, ItalyDepartment of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyCumulative photovoltaic (PV) power installed in 2016 was equal to 305 GW. Five countries (China, Japan, Germany, the USA, and Italy) shared about 70% of the global power. End-of-life (EoL) management of waste PV modules requires alternative strategies than landfill, and recycling is a valid option. Technological solutions are already available in the market and environmental benefits are highlighted by the literature, while economic advantages are not well defined. The aim of this paper is investigating the financial feasibility of crystalline silicon (Si) PV module-recycling processes. Two well-known indicators are proposed for a reference 2000 tons plant: net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPBT). NPV/size is equal to −0.84 €/kg in a baseline scenario. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted, in order to improve the solidity of the obtained results. NPV/size varies from −1.19 €/kg to −0.50 €/kg. The absence of valuable materials plays a key role, and process costs are the main critical variables.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4184676
spellingShingle Idiano D’Adamo
Michela Miliacca
Paolo Rosa
Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
International Journal of Photoenergy
title Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
title_full Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
title_fullStr Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
title_full_unstemmed Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
title_short Economic Feasibility for Recycling of Waste Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
title_sort economic feasibility for recycling of waste crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4184676
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