Crossroads
Independent in PV
Interregional Development and Production of Encapsulant-free and Deconstructable PV
The Independent PV project, led by the Dutch startup Biosphere Solar BV in collaboration with Soltech, aims to develop a holistic circular PV module that is encapsulant-free and deconstructable.
This initiative addresses the challenges posed by traditional solar panel design, focusing on waste reduction and circularity. The goal is to create solar panels that are easy to disassemble, repair, and recycle, thus extending their lifecycle and reducing environmental impact.
This innovative approach involves replacing conventional encapsulation methods with an edge seal design, enabling complete disassembly without chemical or thermal treatments. Additionally, we are pioneering liquid-based PV module encapsulation to enhance energy efficiency and facilitate thermal management.
Copyright Soltech NV
The project targets three main objectives:
- Developing a PV module that is easy to repair and more recyclable. This enables higher-level strategies like repair and renovation, eliminating the need for downcycling this high-quality equipment into filler material.
- Development of a production process suitable for circular solar panels. This involves creating and validating a streamlined and reproducible production process specifically tailored to circular solar panels.
- Development of a disassembly process for the repair and renovation of solar panels. This process should be performed without the use of chemical or intensive thermal treatments, ensuring both safety during the disassembly process, lower financial costs, and the integrity of the disassembled components.
Copyright BiospereSolar
Soltech is leveraging its expertise in PV technology to lead the creation of scalable and efficient manufacturing methods tailored to circular solar panels, as well as developing safe and effective disassembly methods for solar panels. Additionally, Soltech is pioneering the use of liquid-based PV module encapsulation to enhance energy efficiency and facilitate thermal management.
The result will be a validated prototype of a circular solar panel with a 30-year lifespan and at least 20% efficiency, meeting all industry standards. This initiative will significantly contribute to waste reduction in the solar industry and support the transition to a sustainable energy future.
Our innovative approach ensures that solar panels can be part of a circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled, minimizing environmental impact.
Project Independent in PV is funded within the CrossRoads Flanders-Netherlands program that stimulates cross-border cooperation between SMEs in Flanders and the southern Netherlands (Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg and South Holland).
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