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Solar panels are built to last. But what happens after their thirty-year career under sun, wind and rain? The PVDEBOND project \u2013 with SOLTECH as a key industrial partner \u2013 is working on a breakthrough that could redefine the recycling of photovoltaic modules.<\/strong><\/p>\n The global energy transition is gaining momentum. In the coming decades, billions of solar panels will be installed worldwide. But behind the impressive rise in solar capacity, a less visible challenge is emerging: how to recycle ageing panels sustainably, without losing valuable materials such as silver and silicon.<\/p>\n This is precisely what the imec.icon research project PVDEBOND<\/strong> aims to address. Launched in December 2024, PVDEBOND brings together chemistry, materials science and PV engineering to tackle a simple yet radical idea: what if we could design solar panels that can be taken apart \u2013 cleanly, precisely \u2013 at the end of their life?<\/p>\n SOLTECH<\/strong>, a Flemish producer of custom solar energy solutions, plays a central role by developing the actual PV modules that integrate the new debonding technologies.<\/p>\n \u201cSolar panels are engineered to survive almost anything: rain, snow, heatwaves, even sandstorms. That makes them robust \u2013 but also incredibly hard to disassemble after three decades,\u201d explains Stefan Dewallef<\/strong>, R&D Manager at SOLTECH. \u201cWith PVDEBOND, we want to change that, without sacrificing durability or efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n The heart of the challenge lies in the encapsulation layers<\/strong> \u2013 the glue-like sheets that protect the solar cells between glass and backsheet. Today, they are designed for longevity, not dismantling. As a result, recycling often involves grinding panels down, which leads to downcycling and a loss of high-value materials.<\/p>\n PVDEBOND proposes a smarter solution: innovative additives<\/strong> embedded in the encapsulants, which can be triggered by a specific external signal \u2013 such as UV, infrared light, or heat. When activated, these additives initiate a clean release of the different layers, leaving no residue and allowing for high-quality material recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cThese additives have to remain inactive for thirty years, only doing their job at the very end,\u201d says Dewallef. \u201cThat requires deep chemical insight \u2013 but also a solid translation into industrial practice. We\u2019re making sure these concepts can actually be implemented on real production lines.\u201d<\/p>\n The PVDEBOND consortium brings together a balanced mix of research institutions and industry leaders: recycling expert Galloo<\/strong>, PV policy think tank Becquerel Institute<\/strong>, chemical researchers at UHasselt<\/strong>, and nanotechnology giant imec<\/strong>. As industrial partner, SOLTECH provides the critical link between laboratory innovation and production reality.<\/p>\n The modules produced during the project serve as proof of concept: panels that perform reliably for 30 years, but are designed from the outset to come apart cleanly.<\/p>\n \u201cInnovation without manufacturability is just theory,\u201d says Dewallef. \u201cOur role is to translate the vision into real-world production. Can this be laminated? What does it mean for thermal stability, for cost, for mechanical strength? We tackle those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n PVDEBOND does more than just improve recyclability. It rethinks the entire value chain \u2013 from materials selection to end-of-life processing. The goal is a truly circular PV industry<\/strong>, where panels are no longer seen as waste, but as recoverable assets.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a vision in which performance and responsibility go hand in hand \u2013 and where companies like SOLTECH are helping shape not just the future of solar, but the future of how we leave things behind.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Project Details<\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/soltech.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/SOLTECH-l-Zonnewering-solar.jpg” alt=”de-kikker-community-school-dok-architecten_5″ title_text=”SOLTECH l Zonnewering solar” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/soltech.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG20240513153103_01.jpg” alt=”de kikker” title_text=”oplus_1048576″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.imec-int.com\/en\/research-portfolio\/pvdebond” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”More information on PVDEBOND” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”3px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#113E76″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”10%” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”15px” custom_margin=”15px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#113E76″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”10%” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”15px” custom_margin=”15px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”9″ include_categories=”157,162,163″ show_more=”on” show_author=”off” show_date=”off” show_categories=”off” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|||on|||||” meta_font=”||||||||” meta_text_color=”#113E76″ border_radii=”on|25px|25px|25px|25px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#F4A900″ border_radii_image=”on|25px|25px|25px|25px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#113E76″ custom_padding=”|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/soltech.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Soltech_Zonnestralen01.png” title_text=”Soltech_Solar01″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_text_color=”#113E76″ header_2_text_color=”#F4A900″ header_5_text_color=”#F4A900″ header_6_text_color=”#F4A900″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Whatever your project, Soltech puts energy into it. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_text=”Contact us” button_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What if solar panels could neatly dismantle themselves after 30 years? SOLTECH is helping develop recyclable panels from day one through the PVDEBOND project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10410"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10432,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10410\/revisions\/10432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soltech.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}From glue to smart layer<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Bringing lab ideas to factory floors<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Designing circularity into every layer<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Name:<\/strong> PVDEBOND \u2013 Additive-enhanced recycling with Debonding-on-Demand technology
Partners:<\/strong> SOLTECH, Galloo, IP FAB, Becquerel Institute, UHasselt (ACC and IMO-IMOMEC), imec
Duration:<\/strong> 1 December 2024 \u2013 30 November 2027
Funding:<\/strong> imec.icon project, supported by VLAIO<\/p>\nMore news with a touch of SOLTECH<\/h1>\n
Your project full of energy<\/h2>\n
\nStand alone or building integrated.
\nWith “a touch of SOLTECH,” your project too will be a sustainable reference of its kind in no time. <\/p>\n