Project pioneering circular solutions to solar panel recycling announced as finalist in 2024 European Sustainable Energy Awards

PHOTORAMA is an EU-funded project working to improve the recycling of photovoltaic (PV) panels and the recovery of raw materials, developing a circular model that can bridge the gap between the manufacturing and recycling industries.

Solar energy is at the forefront of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and limit the global temperature rise to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, as stated in the Paris Agreement. In this context, the solar industry needs to be exemplary. PHOTORAMA, a pan-European project which received an €8.38 million grant under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, is working to meet this challenge.

‘Recycling PV panels is not easy,’ says project coordinator Claire Agraffeil. ‘The current practices are identified as ‘down-cycling’, which leads to irreversible loss of valuable raw materials. Our project has been designed to demonstrate that innovation can provide solutions for high-value recycling.’

The project brings together 13 partners active in the PV End-of-Life value chain, from Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Norway and Belgium.

One of those is RHP Technology in Seibersdorf, Austria, a technology development company focused on advanced materials and processing techniques. ‘Our role in PHOTORAMA is to find solutions for the reuse of recycled materials, namely silver, indium, silicon and gallium,’ says Erich Neubauer, a managing director of RHP.

‘We use recycled silver by integrating silver particles into pastes and inks, which can be reused in PV but also in other electronics, such as 3D printing,’ says Erich, adding that indium is recycled and used for the bounding of sputtering targets, materials used to create thin films used in PV, while recycled silicon is especially interesting for applications destined to cool electronics.

The PHOTORAMA Pilot Line DEMO aims to develop a model that can manage a wide range of PV waste materials, following a three-step approach: 1) Disassemble the external components – aluminium frame and electrical supply; 2) open the ‘sandwich’ – glass sheet, solar cells, back sheet; and 3) recover the critical and valuable materials from the solar cells – silicon, copper, silver, indium, gallium, etc. The pilot units will be put together into a real-life industrial environment by the end of 2024.

‘It may seem easy, but if we look at the diversity of PV devices, over 105 000 models with their own design specifications, a universal way of disassembling becomes very complex,’ says Claire, the PHOTORAMA coordinator. ‘So, it was not only about developing technology itself. We had to design and develop a whole system, flexible enough to treat any kind of PV waste.’

The results have been encouraging: according to initial estimates, the recycling of about 1 200 tonnes of PV panels has the potential to save more than 3 800 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, or as much greenhouse gas as emitted by almost a thousand cars driven for a year. Such a solution could have a powerful impact, given the millions of tonnes of PV waste in the pipeline.

‘We need innovation to create and develop PV recycling,’ says Claire. ‘This is a chance for Europe to take the lead... The recovery of strategic and critical raw materials is also an opportunity to reduce European dependency on international supply.’

PHOTORAMA is one of three finalists shortlisted for the European Sustainable Energy Awards 2024 in the Innovation category. The award recognises outstanding ongoing or recently completed EU-funded projects that show an original and innovative path towards the clean energy transition. The other finalists in this category are the Airborne Wind Energy project in Norway, and the pan-European outPHit project.

The Airborne Wind Energy project uses kites to harness stronger winds at high altitudes. outPHit is supporting energy efficient renovation projects throughout Europe.

EUSEW Awards ​celebrate Europe’s best clean energy projects and leaders 

The ​ European Sustainable Energy Awards ​ (EUSEW Awards) recognise outstanding individuals and projects for their innovation and efforts in energy efficiency and renewables. The nine finalists have been selected by a high-level jury in three categories: Innovation, Local Energy Action, and Woman in Energy. The finalists will be submitted to an online public vote, which is open now until 2 June, and the winners will be announced during the EUSEW Awards Ceremony in June 2024. ​ 

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EUSEW 2024 

European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the​ biggest annual event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe, takes place on 11-13 June under the theme ‘Net-zero energy solutions for a competitive Europe’. The event will bring together public authorities, private companies, NGOs and consumers to promote initiatives accelerating decarbonisation through green technologies and solutions towards a fair and just transition for people and competitive businesses.

Registrations for onsite attendance in Brussels and online participation are now open. 

For interview requests with the EUSEW Awards finalists or additional media information, please contact ​ mediaeusew [dot] eu (media[at]eusew[dot]eu)