Research theme 1
End of life (EoL) solar panel recycling to materials: processes/reactors design and scale-up
Theme leader
Prof Yansong Shen
(UNSW)
Prof M. Akbar Rhamdhani
(Swinburne)
Background
End-of-life (EoL) solar panels contain valuable resources such as silicon, glass, and metals, but current recycling approaches are often energy-intensive, costly, and inefficient. Challenges include the lack of automated disassembly, high energy use in delamination, incomplete metal recovery, and limited integration of recycling processes into scalable, flexible systems. To address these issues, RT1 explores new processes and reactor designs that make PV recycling faster, cleaner, and more adaptable for industrial deployment.
Aims
Smarter Panel Disassembly and Separation
More Energy-Efficient Delamination
Greener Metal Extraction
Integration and Optimisation
Mobile Recycling Solutions
Solar-Thermal Recycling Systems
Outcomes
This theme will deliver scalable and sustainable recycling solutions that achieve higher material recovery rates with lower energy and cost. Outcomes include advanced reactor and process designs, optimised system integration, and green extraction methods that can be deployed in both large-scale facilities and mobile units. By incorporating solar-thermal energy and eco-friendly processes, RT1 will set new benchmarks for clean and flexible PV recycling. The insights gained will also translate to wider applications in electronic waste management and critical materials recovery, supporting a circular economy for renewable energy technologies.
RT 1.1. Smarter Panel Disassembly and Separation
P1: Automating the disassembly of PV modules to save time and labour.
P2: Improving shredding, crushing, and particle separation with advanced screen designs for higher throughput.
P3: Using optical technologies to make separation faster and more accurate.
RT 1.2. More Energy-Efficient Delamination
P4: Redesigning pyrolysis reactors (moving bed, kiln, fixed bed) to cut energy use.
P5: Using catalysts to make delamination cleaner and faster.
P6: Applying laser technology for precise and efficient separation.
RT 1.3. Greener Metal Extraction
P7: Using eco-friendly, bio-engineered chemicals for leaching and etching.
P8: Redesigning leaching processes and reactors to recover metals more effectively.
P9: Developing electrical dismantling methods to simplify material recovery.
RT 1.4. Integration and Optimisation
P10: Integrating different recycling steps into one streamlined system.
P11: Using plant-wide modelling to optimise efficiency and scale up recycling operations.
RT 1.5. Mobile Recycling Solutions
P12: Designing second-generation mobile recycling units that can travel to sites, reducing transport costs and emissions.
RT 1.6. Solar-Thermal Recycling Systems
P13: Harnessing solar-thermal energy to power recycling processes, making them more sustainable.