1 Photovoltaics Recycling and Sustainability U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Vasilis Fthenakis PV Environmental Research Center Brookhaven National Laboratory and Center for Life Cycle Analysis Columbia University Recycling Scoping Workshop, IEEEPVSC, Philadelphia, June 11, 2009 email: [email protected]web: www.pv.bnl.gov
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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable ... · Photovoltaics are required to meet the need for abundant electricity generation at competitive costs, whilst conserving
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Photovoltaics Recycling and Sustainability
U.S. Department of EnergyEnergy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Vasilis FthenakisPV Environmental Research Center
Brookhaven National Laboratoryand
Center for Life Cycle AnalysisColumbia University
Recycling Scoping Workshop, IEEEPVSC, Philadelphia, June 11, 2009
Photovoltaics are required to meet the need for abundant electricity generation at competitive costs, whilst conserving resources for future generations, and having environmental impacts lower than those of alternative future energy-options
U.S. Grand Solar Plan Projections-Annual Electricity Growth from Renewables -
0
50
100
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2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Ann
ual I
ncre
ase
in E
lect
ricity
Pro
duct
ion
(TW
h)
Wind-CAES Central Geothermal Distributed PV PV-CAES CSP
PV Grid Parity Cost
6-8 ¢/kWh
PV Grid Parity Cost
6-8 ¢/kWh
Fthenakis, Mason & Zweibel, Energy Policy 37 (2009)
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Semiconductor Metal ScarcitySemiconductor Metal Scarcity
Rare elements in thin-film PV
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Te and In Availability for PV: Primary Sources
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2005 2025 2045 2065 2085
In(t/
yr)
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1000
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3000
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2005 2025 2045 2065 2085
Te (t
/yr)
Conservative Scenario
Most likely scenario
Most likely scenario
Conservative Scenario
Accounts for competitive demandTellurium Availability (t/yr)
Indium Availability (t/yr)
Conservative Scenario
Most likely scenarioMost likely scenario
Conservative Scenario
+ Materials from Recycling of Spent PV Modules
Fthenakis, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, in press
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Resource related Constraints alleviated with Recycling & Technological AdvancesResource related Constraints alleviated with Recycling & Technological Advances
Material-related sustainability will be
primary production, reducing the thicknessof the semiconductor layers, and efficient recycling of spent modules.
Material-related sustainability will be improved with enhanced recovery during primary production, reducing the thicknessof the semiconductor layers, and efficient recycling of spent modules.
Especially needed is R&D on developing thinner layers.
Especially needed is R&D on developing thinner layers.improved with enhanced recovery during
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2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
CdTe PV (GW/yr)
Most likely
Optimistic
Conservative0
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2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
CIGS PV (GW/yr)
Most likely
Optimistic
Conservative
Fthenakis, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, in press
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Environmental ConsiderationsEnvironmental ConsiderationsEnvironmental footprints of energy technologiesshould be quantified in a life cycle framework
Land UseEnergy UseGreen House GasesEH&S RisksEnd-of-life DisposalRecycling
Zero impact technology does not exist compare with other energy producing technologies as benchmarks
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Land Use
Sinzheim, Germany, with permission from Juwi, 2006
1.4MW
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More Land is used by the Coal Life Cycle than PV
Land requirement for surface coal mining: 320 m2/GWhLand requirement for PV in the SW: 310 m2/GWh
Mountain Top Coal MiningRawl, West Virginia
Fthenakis V. and Kim H.C., Sustainable and Renewable Energy Reviews, 2009
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Energy Use Payback Times (EPBT)Energy Use Payback Times (EPBT)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
Ribbon-Si11.5%
Multi-Si13.2%
Mono-Si14.0%
CdTe 9%
EPB
T(Y
ears
)
BOSFrameFramelessModule
2.2
2.7
1.1
1.7
Insolation: 1700 kwh/m2-yr
Based on data from 13 US and European PV manufacturers
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Breakdown of Primary Energy Demand in Multi‐Si PV Module Production
Fluidized Bed ReactorSolar Grade Si production
JSSI, Rheinfelden, GRREC, Moses Lake, WAREC, Ontario, CA
Recycle SiC and polyethylene glycol
Reduce wafer thickness
Options to Reduce Energy Demand
Data source: Alsema, deWild‐Scholten, 2006
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GHG Emissions from Life Cycle Energy of Electricity ProductionGHG Emissions from Life Cycle Energy of Electricity Production
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Coal (Kim andDale 2005)
Natural Gas(Kim and Dale
2005)
Petroleum(Kim and Dale
2005)
Nuclear(Baseline -
Fthenakis andKim, 2007
PV, CdTe(Fthenakiset al, 2008)
PV, mc-Si,(Fthenakis et al, 2008)
GH
G (g
CO
2-eq
./kW
h)
MaterialsOperationTransportationFuel Production
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California Energy Commission, Nuclear Issues Workshop, June 2007Fthenakis et al., Environmental Science & Technology, 2008
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EH&S RisksEH&S RisksIt is of the outmost importance for the PV industry to minimize EH&S risks, preserving safe and environmentally friendly facilities and operations.
Addressing EH&S concerns is the focus of numerous studies at BNL (>200 publications, tutorials, workshops, presentations, site visits).
The US PV industry exercises continues vigilance to minimize the risks of hazardous substances.
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Recycling of Spent ModulesRecycling of Spent Modules
Provides a source of materials Resolves environmental issues related to end-of-life
Suntech joins PV module recycling group (May 7, 2009)Yingli, China, to join PV CYCLE (May 11, 2009) -43 members so far-
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Global ResponsibilityGlobal Responsibility
Solar Energy Firms Leave Waste Behind in China - March 9, 2008SiCl4 dumping in the fields,Henan Province, China
"It's poison air. Sometimes it gets so bad you can't sit outside. You have to close all the doors and windows,“
Qiao Shi Peng, Age 28
"It's poison air. Sometimes it gets so bad you can't sit outside. You have to close all the doors and windows,“
Qiao Shi Peng, Age 28
- Photo By Zhang Quanfeng
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The Triangle of SuccessThe Triangle of Success
Low Cost
Recycling
Lowest Environmental Impact
ResourceAvailability
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Synergy Effect Synergy Effect
MarketCustomer Environmental Concerns
GtRegulat
ntives
Business
Customer Environmental
Concerns
Recycling
overnmenions, Ince
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ConclusionsConclusions
Major Sustainability metrics include cost, resource availability, and environmental impacts
These three aspects are closely related; recycling spent moduleswill become increasingly important in resolving cost, resource, and environmental constraints to large scales of sustainable growth