China has issued guidelines to promote the comprehensive recycling and reuse of end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules in response to the growing wave of end-of-life panels.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other government departments want to raise the level of green manufacturing for PV modules, increase the use of recycled materials, and improve scrap assessment standards, testing and inspection methods.
Supply
The guidelines set a target for the cumulative comprehensive utilisation of retired PV panels of 250 000 tonnes by 2027. According to reports, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association expects the volume of retired solar panels to reach 18 gigawatts (about 1.4 million tonnes) by 2030.
By 2040, cumulative waste could rise to 253 gigawatts, or around 20 million tonnes.
The guidelines also urge advances in key technologies such as dismantling, separation of laminated parts and component extraction. Officials want a broader application of recycled PV-derived products in sectors including metal smelting, equipment manufacturing and building materials.
Standards
The ministries are also looking to develop a set of technical standards for design and utilisation of PV modules. By 2030, the guidelines target further upgrades of recycling technology and equipment, stronger industrial innovation and expanded applications for recycled products.
Solar panels contain glass, silicon, silver, copper and aluminium which can be recovered and reused through recycling processes, helping to reduce environmental pressure and resource waste.
Some are removed from power plants and resold to regions or countries with lower efficiency requirements, extending their operational life rather than entering the recycling process immediately.
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