Presentation Details
| First United States-specific, industry-sourced life cycle assessment of Cadmium Telluride photovoltaic recycling shows module design is the key driver of net environmental impact (yes) Aman Raj1, Dwarakanath Ravikumar1, Meryl Winicov2. 1Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.2SOLARCYCLE, Inc, Mesa, AZ, USA |
Abstract
This study presents the first United States (US)-specific environmental assessment of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) recycling using primary process and inventory data from a commercial PV recycler in Arizona. US-specific data are used to model the CdTe PV recycling process, transportation, electricity use, landfill operations, and the processing of aluminum, steel, copper, and glass recovered from spent CdTe PV modules. The recycling of three module designs - a frameless Series 4 (S4), a Series 6 with an aluminum frame (S6), and a Series 7 with a steel frame (S7) – is assessed. The result shows that when only recycling plant operations are considered, US-based recycling of S4 and S6 CdTe PV modules exhibits 32% and 42% lower climate burdens than Europe, respectively. When secondary material processing is included, the net climate benefit from US recycling is 126% higher for S4 and 20% lower for S6 compared to Europe. For S7, US-based recycling yields a net climate benefit of 11 kg CO₂-eq per module, with no European LCI data available for comparison. Across the remaining 9 environmental impact categories, US recycling achieves net benefits in 0, 9, and 5 categories for S4, S6, and S7, respectively. Module design, which determines aluminum or steel frame recovery and associated avoided virgin production, is the dominant driver of net environmental performance. Beyond design, reducing electricity and transportation burdens offers the greatest potential for improvement, while improved LCI data for glass, aluminum, and steel most effectively reduces uncertainty.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.