A technical review of crystalline silicon photovoltaic module recycling

The depletion of fossil fuels and the pollution created due to their usage is pushing the current society towards solar energy. Photovoltaics (PV) have been touted as the energy source for the future. As the PV installations increase, their disposal at the end-of-life (EoL) becomes more pressing. Recycling them is of great importance, considering the environmental impact they have and the growing scarcity of metals. This article estimates the volume of solar panel waste that will be generated using a learning curve and discusses the disadvantages of landfill disposal and why it is not sustainable. It dwells deep into the current recycling processes available for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar panels. It explores the composition of PV modules and provides a detailed analysis of the existing technologies addressing the complexities of PV recycling. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of each method, highlights the key topics for future research, and explains why these areas require investigation.