Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Waste Volumes

Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Waste Volumes Summary Beyond general waste regulations, various approaches have been developed specifically to manage end-of-life PV panel waste. In this article series, the financial principles of panel waste management and the regulatory frameworks implemented are outlined for the United Kingdom and Japan.

United Kingdom: Young Market with EU-Directed, PV-Specific Waste Regulations PV Market and Waste Projection

The United Kingdom remains a relatively young market for PV and thus end-of-life panels. However, it has recently experienced rapid PV deployment, rising from just under 1 GW in 2011 to over 9 GW in 2015 and currently with more than 750,000 installations. Three-quarters of current PV capacity was installed after the WEEE Directive came into force in the United Kingdom in early 2014. Regulatory and Non-Regulatory Frameworks Since the UK's PV market is still nascent, the status quo regarding collection, processing and recycling is essentially reflected in the implementation of the WEEE Directive, which entered into force on 1 January 2014. Before the WEEE Directive, the United Kingdom also fell under voluntary producer initiatives (such as PV CYCLE) and producer-owned take-back and recycling systems. Due to the limited number of PV installations prior to 2014, most end-of-life PV panels occurring at that time would have been covered by manufacturer warranties and returned via the B2B channel. The United Kingdom has established certain special rules regarding the definition of a PV producer and has therefore adopted the extended producer responsibility principle when transposing the legislation. UK WEEE legislation is defined as follows: A UK producer brand selling PV panels under its own name; • An importer of PV panels into the UK market • A UK business selling PV panels produced or manufactured under its own brand but imported by another party. As in other European markets, all PV producers in the United Kingdom must register through a producer compliance scheme (an industry-managed take-back and recycling plan). They must submit data on products for both domestic (B2C) and non-domestic (B2B) markets. However, when it comes to financing B2C and B2B sales, UK WEEE legislation contains requirements that differ significantly from the EU WEEE Directive. PV producers must finance the collection of domestic (B2C) PV panels based on market share. For example, a producer placing 10% (by weight) of new panels on the UK market in any given year pays for the collection and processing of 10% of old panels collected in the following year. The year in which they were first placed on the market is not taken into account. • PV producers must finance the collection and recycling of non-domestic (B2B) panels bearing the wheeled bin symbol, as well as those not bearing it if they are replaced at the same time as new ones. In addition to the producer compliance scheme, UK WEEE legislation has introduced a new requirement for installers to participate in a distributor take-back plan. Currently, there are several producer compliance schemes and distributor take-back plans in the United Kingdom offering their services at very similar rates.

UK WEEE Legislation: Creation of a Separate Category for PV Panels

Following consultation between the PV sector and the UK Government, national legislation has created a new and separate category dedicated to financing the collection and recycling of PV panels. Had a new category not been created, PV producers would have borne heavy costs for the collection and recycling of consumer WEEE. This is because financing obligations are related to the weight of products placed on the market, and PV panels are the heaviest "appliance" used by homeowners. This special category status was granted "on the basis of the UK Government being satisfied that PV producers can offer a sustainable strategy for the collection and processing of end-of-life PV panels." The creation of a separate PV category will give the PV sector greater control over PV panel collection and recycling financing. Recording collected waste volumes within PV panels in the United Kingdom represents a priority improvement needed in UK WEEE legislation. Since economies of scale would not currently permit dedicated PV recycling facilities in the United Kingdom, further improvements are likely to take place abroad. In principle, UK WEEE legislation requires waste to be processed in the United Kingdom. However, in certain cases (such as PV panels), there are no high-value processing facilities in the United Kingdom. Exports to other EU member states are possible as long as their facilities comply with UK processing facility requirements.

Outlook for the United Kingdom

The UK PV panel recycling market will likely remain insignificant for the next few years. However, pricing dynamics and a strong political focus on building-integrated (BI) BI-PV may motivate new technology developments, for example for recycling BI-PV components as part of building waste streams. Japan: Advanced Market Without PV-Specific Waste Regulations  

PV Market and Waste Projection

Japan has been a PV pioneer, contributing to significant research and development for decades and hosting many of the world's leading producers (such as Sharp, Kyocera and Panasonic). Although the country's own PV market was initially relatively small, a feed-in tariff implemented in July 2012 spurred rapid expansion. While Japan's cumulative installed PV capacity was above 6.7 GW in 2012, it jumped to 34.3 GW in 2015. Figure 3 shows PV panel waste projections according to this model and Japanese government estimates. Cumulative waste volumes could reach 7,000-35,000 tons by 2016 and rise to 200,000 to 1 million tons by 2030. According to the scenarios used in this report, it could reach 6.5-7.6 million tons by 2050. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) estimates are lower and project waste volumes at a later date than the figures in this report. The fundamental reason is the methodology used here, which includes early-stage failures covered by warranty replacements and is not fully included by METI/MOE in end-of-life volume projections.

Japan's PV Panel Waste Projections

According to Japan's Guidelines on the Management of End-of-Life PV Panels released in April 2016, end-of-life PV panels will reach approximately 2,808 tons per year by 2020. In 2025 it will be 9,580 tons and after 2030 it will be 28,800 tons, in 2035 61,000 tons and finally in 2039 775,000 tons. Figure 2 compares the report's annual PV panel waste volumes for selected years with the METI/MOE scenario. In Japan's national scenario, waste flows are lower than normal loss and early loss scenarios, but after 2035 they jump far ahead of this report's scenarios.

Regulatory and Non-Regulatory Frameworks

Japan has no specific regulations for end-of-life PV panels and therefore waste management must be addressed under the general regulatory framework: Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law. The law defines waste, the responsibilities of industrial waste producers and processors, industrial waste management including regular landfill disposal, etc. Additionally, the Construction Waste Recycling Law specifies how construction and decommissioning waste should be managed. The law requires the recovery and recycling of concrete, wood and construction materials (including concrete, iron and asphalt). Although PV panels are not specifically defined in the law, PV panels integrated with building materials may require recycling according to current interpretations. Panels in ground-mounted PV power plants are not affected by this regulation.

System Components Made of Concrete or Steel Will Also Be Subject to the Law

A proposed change in Japan's feed-in tariff program for renewable electricity includes assessment of end-of-life management with recycling but without obligations and penalties. Since 2013, METI and MOE have jointly evaluated how to address end-of-life renewable energy equipment such as PV, solar water heaters and wind turbines. A June 2015 report created a roadmap to promote a plan for collection, recycling and appropriate treatment. It also included the promotion of technology research and development, environmentally friendly designs, disassembly, transport and processing guidelines and user information. Based on this roadmap, the first edition of guidelines to promote appropriate treatment at end-of-life, including recycling, was published in April 2016. waste disposal. These reports are expected to lead to further evaluation of policies regarding end-of-life management of PV panel waste. In our next article, we will continue with Japan's WEEE targets and financing plans. May God have mercy on those who lost their lives in the Kahramanmaraş earthquake we recently experienced; we wish you health and good days with your loved ones.   Dr. Lecturer Cemil Koyunoğlu Department of Energy Systems Engineering Faculty of Engineering Yalova University