DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING PROCESS FOR END OF LIFE SILICON PV MODULES: FEASIBILITY OF A PLANT BUILT IN ITALY

The disposal and recycling processes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) have assumed an increasing importance during the last years, as confirmed by the rapidly growing waste stream experienced in particular in 2010: in fact, in Italy the collection target of four kilograms per annum per inhabitant has been achieved. Also Photovoltaic Modules, as their disposal has not been regulated yet, are included within WEEE. Since the promulgation of the Ministry for Economic Development Decree referring to the Fourth Feed in Tariff on May 5, 2011, the attention to this issue has increased. Moreover, this problem will become even more important in the next years, due to the wide spread of the photovoltaic technology, promoted by government incentives. In the present paper the feasibility of an end of life silicon PV modules recycling plant, built in Italy, was studied. Recycling processes have already been used in Germany, a country leader in the utilization of renewable energy resources, and the only one where an infrastructure of this type operates on industrial scale. Waste stream, capital, process and logistics costs were the basic parameters taken into account in order to define the economic feasibility of this method.