In the recycling of materials a treasure of 15 billion

A bet from 15 billion dollars. It is the sum that could be obtained by 2050 from solar panels and modules which will be disposed of in the next few years because they have reached the end of their life. Instead of being scrapped, they could be “disassembled” into their various components, thus recovering them 80 million tons of materials: they will not end up in waste but will return to circulation, with a share of between 85 and 95% of the total.

almost everything can be recovered from “green” plants for batteries it can even reach one hundred percent

It is the estimate that can be read in a report by Irena, the International Renewable Energy Agency, where it explains how a second life for green energy systems is possible. Indeed, a third: the panels can be resold second-hand or they can be “deconstructed” to avoid wasting raw materials. And this is just for photovoltaics. Because if we expand and also examine wind power, batteries and storage systems, the numbers are even more important. With exponential growth from now to the next few years: it is estimated that by 2030, the turnover on materials that can be recycled will reach a value of over 2.7 billion dollars – according to the indications of Rystad Energy, a Norwegian energy consultancy company – and that al By 2050 the projection rises to 80 billion. In all likelihood, downward estimates, considering that the technologies for the transition from hydrocarbons to green sources are destined to improve in efficiency.

Glass, aluminum and copper

But what is possible recover solar panels? And what to do with it? «In fact all the components can be recycled», explains Cristian Gullino, R&D manager of Erp Servizi Italia, a company specialized in the management and treatment of special waste. «Let’s take glass: on average between 65 and 80 percent is very high quality tempered glass that can be used in construction for windows and doors. Then there are aluminum frames: it can be recovered, melted and reused in various sectors, starting with the automotive sector. Then there are raw materials such as copper filaments. To get to packaging and inverters.”

Italy, third country in Europe for installation of solar systems, he has an opportunity not to be missed. Especially for the numbers with which 2023 ended: in our country they were installed 4,8 gigawatts of new photovoltaic power (according to data from Italia Solare), behind Germany (14.1 gigawatts) and Spain (8.2 gigawatts). Increasingly important numbers which make an organization that allows the recovery of systems at the end of their life even more necessary. Last year they were more than 188 thousand tons of panels disposed of, when they were only 11 thousand tons in 2018. The peak will be reached in 2025 with 209 thousand tons. To then decline in the following years, up to 134 thousand tonnes by 2030.

The residential market

This means that ten years from now, the materials recycling market will initially concern only large plants that have come into operation in the last ten years, taking advantage in particular of the incentives – often generous – of the various “energy accounts”. «But after 2033 – again according to data collected by ERP – there will be a volumes deriving from the residential sector are also available for recycling and by small and medium-sized industrial plants, which, as the numbers show, represent the majority of the most recent installations”.

For this reason it is necessary to evaluate, in some cases, where to concentrate efforts and which materials are best to recycle. This is the case of the choice between silicon and silver, as Gullino further explains. «Usually we focus on rsilver recovery, because it is considered more valuable. But we should think about the numbers. In a medium-sized panel we find them less than 5 grams, equal to 0.00025% of the total weight. Which equates, if we are good and lucky, to 250 grams per ton. The case is different siliconwhich in perspective could be worth more because corresponds to 4% of the total weight of the panel. It is true that at this time sophisticated practices are necessary to “refine” it and that to reuse it it is necessary to remelt and recrystallize it. But there are start-ups that are working to improve the procedures and make them more economical.” And with the number of panels available in the coming years there will be no shortage of economies of scale.