Development of a recyclable PV-module: trial manufacturing and evaluation

It is possible to reuse the PV cells, except when the cells are physically damaged. By reusing the cells, we can save the significant amount of energy consumed in the manufacture of PV cells, and reduce the total cost of PV modules as a consequence. PV cells are resources, and they should be recycled. However, the PV cell recovery process is not easy, because conventional PV modules are produced without considering the recycling. We are developing a recyclable PV-module with easy cell recovery called "double encapsulation module (DEM)", in which a transparent nonadhesive film to PV cell is placed between PV cell and EVA. Trial manufacturing and an evaluation of optical and electrical characteristics using single-cell prototype module was performed. We successfully recovered the PV cell with no damage from DEM and cleared its optical characteristics.