End-of-life solar photovoltaic waste management: A comparison as per European Union and United States regulatory approaches

IF 5.4 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Resources, conservation & recycling advances Pub Date : 2024-03-19 DOI:10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200212
Preeti Nain, Annick Anctil
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Abstract

The increasing growth of solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment raises end-of-life management concerns. Previous studies have forecasted PV waste; however, the implications of the regulations were not assessed. The present study estimates the volume and composition of end-of-life solar PV waste for the European Union and the United States. The recycling potential of generated waste and the fate of materials in end-of-life PV waste as per the present regulations is also estimated. Further, the work analyses solar manufacturers contributing to the waste and provides recommendations for improving solar PV waste management. The analysis in the present study shows that 24.93 million tonnes and 36.23 million tonnes (metric ton) of PV waste with an economic value of 189 billion USD and 262 billion USD are expected to be generated between 2025 and 2050 in the US and European Union, respectively. This work also indicates that the US lacks federal PV waste-specific management regulations and has different requirements across the states. In contrast, European countries have adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in their national legislations in addition to country-specific PV manufacturer compliance schemes. Due to the lack of regulations, 20 MT of PV waste is expected to be disposed of in landfills in the US. Chinese manufacturers like Tongwei, Aiko, and LONGi are leading manufacturers of PV shipments globally. They could play a significant role in PV recycling and management if they adopt take-back programs and invest in recycling, contributing to future end-of-life PV waste management. In light of these observations, a need for greater synchronization between federal and state-level end-of-life PV regulations, collaboration among recyclers and PV industry stakeholders, and continued research and knowledge sharing is recommended. Secondly, incorporating emerging contaminants in PV waste regulations and waste characterization methods is required for responsible recycling and safe management.

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报废太阳能光伏废物管理:欧盟和美国监管方法比较
太阳能光伏(PV)应用的日益增长引发了对报废管理的关注。以前的研究对光伏废物进行了预测,但没有评估法规的影响。本研究估算了欧盟和美国报废太阳能光伏废物的数量和构成。还估算了所产生废物的回收潜力,以及根据现行法规,报废光伏废物中材料的去向。此外,该研究还分析了造成废弃物的太阳能制造商,并提出了改进太阳能光伏废弃物管理的建议。本研究的分析表明,预计 2025 年至 2050 年期间,美国和欧盟将分别产生 2,493 万吨和 3,623 万吨(公吨)光伏废物,经济价值分别为 1,890 亿美元和 2,620 亿美元。这项研究还表明,美国缺乏针对光伏废物的联邦管理条例,各州的要求也不尽相同。相比之下,欧洲国家除了针对本国光伏制造商的合规计划之外,还在其国家立法中采用了《废弃电气和电子设备指令》。由于缺乏相关法规,预计美国将有 20 公吨的光伏废料被填埋处理。通威、爱科和隆基等中国制造商是全球领先的光伏产品制造商。如果他们采用回收计划并投资于循环利用,就能在光伏循环利用和管理方面发挥重要作用,为未来的报废光伏废物管理做出贡献。有鉴于此,建议加强联邦和州一级的报废光伏法规之间的同步性,加强回收商和光伏行业利益相关者之间的合作,并继续开展研究和知识共享。其次,需要将新出现的污染物纳入光伏废物法规和废物特征描述方法,以实现负责任的回收和安全管理。
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来源期刊
Resources, conservation & recycling advances
Resources, conservation & recycling advances Environmental Science (General)
CiteScore
11.70
自引率
0.00%
发文量
0
审稿时长
76 days
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