Researchers on the University of New South Wales (UNSW) plan to develop a brand new PV module for simpler recycling, with AUD 5 million ($3.4 million) in federal authorities funding. to assist remodel Australia’s photo voltaic panel recycling {industry}.
From pv journal Australia
A staff of researchers from UNSW has developed a technique for recycling end-of-life photo voltaic panels that enables them to separate 99% of the PV cell element supplies.
The scientists additionally bought AUD 5 million to construct a brand new analysis heart on photo voltaic panel recycling. The Australian Research Council (ARC) has awarded funding to UNSW Sydney to arrange the ARC Research Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability. The facility will deliver collectively specialists from throughout universities and {industry} to enhance the house recycling chain.
UNSW Engineering Professor Yansong Shen, who will lead the analysis hub, mentioned the objective is to develop know-how all through the worth chain of photo voltaic panel manufacturing.
Shen mentioned the middle will intention to develop industrial translations of scalable PV recycling options and reusable supplies, and redesign PV panels to enhance reliability and permit simpler separation and extraction of element supplies equivalent to aluminum, glass, silicon, silver, and copper for reuse.
“A brand new PV panel with excessive reliability and lengthy service life will allow dependable PV service at their many Australian installations,” he mentioned. “A redesigned PV panel with a prepared recycling construction may also permit cheaper recycling and encourage extra PV installations.”
Shen mentioned the brand new ARC hub would additionally create new provide chains and markets, encourage R&D important mass in Australia, and proceed to construct on the analysis staff’s work on photo voltaic recycling. panels.
The staff’s patented course of makes use of typical strategies to separate massive elements, such because the aluminum body and glass sheets, and crush the cell however then place the crushed items inside a vibrating container. Stainless metal balls are used to crush the panel items and filter into completely different sized particles. Tests present that all the crushing and sifting course of takes about 5 to fifteen minutes to successfully separate 99% of the supplies, together with silver.
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Shen mentioned the brand new analysis staff on the ARC heart will embody specialists from all the PV recycling worth chain, from scientists to producers to recyclers, to customers of key supplies. which is recycled.
UNSW Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Merlin Crossley mentioned the event of environment friendly and cost-effective recycling options was important, with estimates predicting that greater than 100,000 tonnes of PV waste could be yearly will enter the nationwide waste by 2030.
“Effectively coping with photo voltaic panel waste is a vital a part of Australia’s nationwide net-zero plan and positions the {industry} to proceed to be an vital supply of renewable power sooner or later,” he mentioned. he.
The UNSW undertaking is one among seven new analysis hubs to share AUD 34.7 million as a part of the most recent spherical of ARC funding. ARC mentioned the hubs beneath this system are designed to assist and develop industry-university analysis collaboration in areas that may drive innovation in Australian industries.
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