The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has established a solar module recycling mechanism to avoid the accumulation of discarded solar modules. The setters of the mechanism are to first pay for the module recycling cost (NT$1,000/kW) that will be incorporated into the module recycling fund founded by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

Judging by Taiwan’s renewable energy plans, the installed capacity of solar power is expected to arrive at 20GW in 2025, and there will be more than 100K tons of discarded modules each year after 2035 based on a lifespan of 20 years among solar panels, as well as 0.5% of solar panels under early decommissioning due to natural disasters. The recycling issue of solar panels must be attached with great importance.

Current mainstream silicon solar panels are primarily formed with 74.2% glass, 10.3% aluminum frame, and 4% cell, where cells and glasses are stuck together with ethylene vinyl acetate, and the aluminum frame is closely encapsulated with solar cells. Although solar panels do not self-dissolve or exudate liquid that would lead to environmental pollution, and despite the fact that they can be regarded as general business wastes during the storage and disposal phase after being discarded, they must not be abandoned carelessly.

As pointed out by MOEA, solar modules adopted by Taiwanese sites conform to the standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission, and are reliable, durable, as well as retain 80% of power generation efficiency after more than 20 years of usage. As a result, after 20 years of discount wholesale to TPC, the original systems can still self-generate power, sell to private businesses or TPC, or change to PV modules that are more efficient for a sustainable operation that would avoid idling of the original site.

A recycling and reuse mechanism has been established for solar modules with the EPA. Setter of the specification would first pay for the recycling cost of modules (NT$1,000/kW) that would be incorporated into the module recycling fund, and each piece of module is monitored with a serial number. PV operators or site owners can dial EPA’s module recycling hotline (03-582-0009) when disposing discarded modules, where staffs would arrive at the scene and assist with the disposal procedure. In addition, recycling technology will be developed continuously in order to dispose and recycle fragmented glass, metals, and plastic from solar modules. Further evaluation with EPA will be an on-going process.

EPA has approved multiple operators of dismantling and disposing, as well as recycling and using, of solar panels. Details can be found on the website of “inquiry of approval on license certificates” from EPA by entering the code D-2528 under “general business waste”.

 (Cover photo source: Flickr/David Goehring CC BY 2.0)