Process Flow for Material Recovery and Sustainability Assessment About Recycling Ultra Thin Photovoltaic Panels

Velásquez R.M.A.; Lara J.V.M. · Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE 32nd International Conference on Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computing, INTERCON 2025 (2025) · DOI: 10.1109/intercon67304.2025.11244708

Resumen

This study presents a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of a 1 m2 ultra-thin photovoltaic solar panel using the Environmental Footprint 3.1 methodology, with a focus on quantifying key environmental impacts across all life cycle stages. The analysis identifies the manufacturing phase as the primary contributor to environmental burdens, particularly in climate change (48.27 kg CO2 -eq), acidification (0.328 mol H+-eq), and terrestrial eutrophication (0.467 mol N-eq). Freshwa-ter ecotoxicity reached 30,754 CTUe, predominantly driven by organic solvent emissions, while fossil resource consumption totaled 700.54 MJ. The study also reports low mineral and metal depletion (0.0097 kg Sb-eq) and moderate water use (2.11 m 3 deprivation-equivalent). Human toxicity indicators were negligible or negative, likely influenced by system boundaries and data cutoffs. Results highlight that despite their reduced material mass, ultra-thin panels exhibit non-negligible environ-mental impacts due to energy-intensive processes powered by fossil-based grid electricity. The findings support the need for mitigation strategies, including renewable energy integration, solvent recovery, and efficient resource use, to improve the sustainability performance of emerging PV technologies.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa