European consortium reuses second life PV panels, EV batteries in agrivoltaics, plug-in solar, low-budget projects
A European team is developing technologies and processes to reuse end of life (EoL) solar PV panels and electric vehicle (EV) batteries as distributed energy solutions in three market segments.
The project has demonstration plans for a medium-sized farm in Belgium, representing agrivoltaics, a German demonstration of small, semi-mobile PV for households, and a school campus in Brussels, representing the low-budget or low-income segment. It is also working on a solution for critical raw materials recovery from PV panels and batteries that cannot be reused.
The 4-year project, which began in January 2024, is developing an “industry-driven value chain covering collection, logistics, characterization, sorting, and reuse” of operational EV batteries and PV panels. It will also showcase efficient recycling, refining, and purification of critical raw materials (CRMs) from panels and batteries that cannot be reused.
The work requires optimizing and lowering the cost of processes, such as dismantling, sorting, certification, testing, repurposing, and warranting of EV batteries. Another area of research is the improvement of process steps related to the selection and purification of glass recovered from PV panel recycling lines.
The project is sourcing its modules from French environmental agency Soren. First drafts for the three use cases have already been presented, including value proposition and technical specifications, according to the project spokesperson.
Techno-economic modeling of the demonstrators’ business cases has already started, and researchers completed the characterization of 122 photovoltaic modules out of 220 so far.
The team has access to on-site photogrammetry and georeferencing tools for aerial imagery and data acquisition, and it is conducting simulations of the automated testing of PV panels. The results are already showing advantages over manual labor, according to the spokesperson.
Known as Solmate, the project’s complete name is Reuse of solar PV panels and EV batteries for low-cost decentralized energy solutions – and effective recycling of critical raw materials from their EoL products. It is aligned with the European Union’s Waste Framework Directive, which prioritizes reuse before recycling, and following “waste hierarchy” principles, according to the team.
The project has €6.1 million ($6.34 million) in funding from the European Union Horizon initiative. It is coordinated by Belgium-based research institute Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO).
The other partners are France-based CEA, Soren, Watt4ever, and Certisolis, along with Spain-based Tecnalia, and Belgian-based KU Leuven, Engie Laborelec, Comet Group, Revolta, Inflights, PNO Innovation, and Out Of Use. They are joined by Germany-based Suncrafter, Italy-based Treee, and Luxembourg-based Solarcleano.
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