World-leading research by the University of New England (AU) is identifying methods to improve solar panel recycling, by accessing more of their valuable components, and ACEN Australia is proud to assist that research.
While up to 95% of a panel’s mass can already be recovered, current recycling methods cannot access the silicon wafers that convert sunlight into an electric current.
UNE’s revolutionary research is using AI to simulate chemical processes to separate the wafers from other panel components. The potential solvents identified by those simulations are then tested in the real world using panels provided from our New England Solar project.
Enlisting AI is helping to identify chemical solutions much more quickly than traditional forms of experimentation and UNE’s research is already delivering promising results.
It will provide cost-efficient options to reuse even more of decommissioned panels and assist our commitment to a circular economy for utility-scale solar.
Last October, our Stubbo Solar project became the first large-scale development to achieve certification under a Circular PV Alliance framework designed to make circular management commercially viable.