Although the PV module industry is young, solar manufacturers are placing an emphasis on social responsibility regarding the take-back and recycling program of modules.
To that end, ET Solar has joined PV CYCLE in order to make PV modules “double green” by recovering and reusing the materials from old modules to produce new ones.
Standard PV module design functions to generate clean energy for over 25 years. At the end of a module’s lifespan, components – such as glass, silicon and aluminum – can be recovered and reused.
Prior to ET Solar, the PV CYCLE association had developed plans to create a socially responsible plan, involving voluntary take-back and recycling programs for these end-of-life modules.
"As a PV module manufacturer, we have the responsibility to maximize the benefits of our products to the environment. Via participating in PV CYCLE's waste management and recycling programs, ET Solar will be able to better achieve these goals," said Dennis She, ET Solar's VP and Chief Officer of Global Sales and Marketing.
Photovoltaic cells’ semiconductors can be made of silicon, polycrystalline thin films, cadmium telluride, and gallium arsenide.
The industrial recycling process can recover materials from both thin-film and silicon modules including glass, aluminum, and various semiconductor materials which are valuable.
This recovery and recycle process is a sustainable method by which PV modules can continue to generate energy while protecting the environment from unnecessary wastes.