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SandAndAlum t1_je3vxz7 wrote

Reply to comment by Vizslaraptor in U.S. renewable electricity surpassed coal in 2022 by altmorty

It hasn't happened to any significant degree yet. The tiny fraction that do exist have historically been recycled for metals and low grade glass at a loss or landfilled.

Recycling supply chains are being built and most of the world now has recycling mandates where manufacturers or importers need to have a plan in place before sale. The glass can be used circularly, silver and bismuth/lead are reusable. The silicon is downcycled to steel alloying or similar industrial use. There has been lab scale amorphous PV built from only decomissioned monocrystalline PV -- it worked but has not been commercialised.

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danielravennest t1_je6w862 wrote

> The silicon is downcycled to steel alloying or similar industrial use.

There is no need to do that. Used solar cells are purer silicon than what comes out of carbothermal reduction of quartz sand to 98.5% pure silicon metal. So you can throw them into the process at that point. The reduction to metal is very energy intensive, so recycling will reduce the energy to make new panels.

They probably are not doing it yet because the volume is so low. Silicon steel is used in transformers and motors, and is even less picky about impurities. So they would just throw the old cells in.

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