SolarPanelRecycling.com (SPR) announced it has launched a recycling line dedicated for bifacial solar panels at its North Carolina and Georgia recycling facilities. The line enables clean glass separation at recovery rates of 99% or higher, the company claims.
“The future of solar recycling demands innovation and SPR is committed to leading the way by establishing best practices. Our investment in a dedicated bifacial recycling line is a proactive step to ensure that our recycling services are scalable and that we can maximize recovery, minimize waste and support the sustainability goals of the industry,” said Brett C. Henderson, CEO of SolarPanelRecycling.com. “True solar recycling goes beyond shredding panels. It requires cleanly separated commodities that can re-enter the supply chain, creating real value and minimizing environmental impact. This new technology marks a major milestone for SPR and for the solar industry as a whole.”
SPR engineers and R&D teams developed a new recycling line for bifacial modules that enables greater recovery efficiency. Unlike partial recyclers who shred whole panels — commingling silicon, glass, metals and plastics into unusable waste — SPR’s process ensures clean separation of all components. This allows each material to return to the manufacturing supply chain, significantly reducing waste and supporting a circular economy.
News item from SPR
“Unlike partial recyclers who shred whole panels — commingling silicon, glass, metals and plastics into unusable waste — SPR’s process ensures clean separation of all components. This allows each material to return to the manufacturing supply chain, significantly reducing waste and supporting a circular economy.”
Grind and mine seems to have its place, it is the handling of the so called “black mass” process that makes or breaks the recycling endeavor. First Solar has had a cradle to cradle recycling program in place since 2003. I have not come across articles about how effective this program has been, it would be interesting to see how this program has worked over the past 22 years.