Journal
SUSTAINABILITY
Volume 14, Issue 16, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/su14169971
Keywords
circular economy; encapsulation; crystalline photovoltaic; sustainability
Funding
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) [490988677]
- Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In the era of climate change and resource scarcity, the importance of sustainable renewable energy technologies is increasing. However, the photovoltaic industry faces issues such as linear economy structures, energy-intensive production, and limited sustainability. This paper provides an overview of the current state of encapsulation methods in the PV industry, including production, materials, and recycling. It also discusses alternative encapsulation technologies and emphasizes the need for research to focus on sustainability and recyclability.
In times of climate change and increasing resource scarcity, the importance of sustainable renewable energy technologies is increasing. However, the photovoltaic (PV) industry is characterised by linear economy structures, energy-intensive production, downcycling and little sustainability. One starting point for sustainable technologies is offered by the circular economy with its circular design principles. One problematic aspect of the design of crystalline PV modules is the encapsulation. In particular, the encapsulation avoids high-value recycling or the remanufacturing of modules, which could close loops and extend the lifetime of the products. For this reason, this paper provides an overview of the current state of encapsulation methods regarding production, materials and recycling. In addition, the current state of sustainability research in the photovoltaic sector is presented using the VOSviewer tool. Furthermore, alternative encapsulation technologies are discussed and compared in terms of performance and sustainability. The current encapsulation method using ethylene vinyl acetate as the encapsulation material offers major disadvantages in terms of performance and recyclability. Alternatives are the thermoplastic material polyolefin and the alternative structure of the NICE technology. Overall, however, research should focus more on sustainability and recyclability. Alternative module structures will be a decisive factor in this context.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available