The worldwide installed photovoltaic capacity exceeded the 1,000 GW mark in 2022. In Austria, installed capacity already exceeded 2 GW in 2020 and is experiencing high growth rates. Currently, there are still low return volumes for end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) modules, but a strong increase is expected in the coming years, for which it is necessary to be prepared accordingly.

In the research project PVReValue, building on existing research results, the scientific and technical foundations are being laid for a complete processing and recycling process for PV modules. In order to develop a holistic process to achieve a recycling rate of more than 95 wt%, the following steps are considered:

1. Input characterization,

2. composite separation,

3. further processing,

4. output characterization, and

5. utilization of the output fractions

The innovative content lies on the one hand in the multi-stage compound separation, which causes a pre-fractionation of the fractions to be further processed, on the other hand in the complex combination of further processing methods for the fractions obtained. The high quality of the process already starts with the input characterization, whereby modules can be selectively charged and output qualities can be modeled and adjusted accordingly. The project thus generates high-quality recyclable secondary raw materials in the sense of a functioning circular economy.

Contact Person

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.mont. Thomas Nigl - Chair of Waste Processing Technology and Waste Management

E-Mail: thomas.nigl(at)unileoben.ac.at

Tel.: +43 3842 402 5124