Mohamed, Nada
(2025)
Towards Sustainable Perovskite Solar Cells: Life Cycle Assessment of Recycling Strategies with Cost and Energy Considerations.
[Laurea magistrale], Università di Bologna, Corso di Studio in
Low carbon technologies and sustainable chemistry [LM-DM270], Documento ad accesso riservato.
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Abstract
The rapid global adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology highlights the critical need for sustainable end-of-life (EOL) management of solar panels. With installed PV capacity projected to reach 4,500 GW by 2050, the associated waste volume is expected to exceed 78 million tonnes, presenting an environmental challenge of unprecedented scale. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as an emerging technology, combine high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 26% with cost-effective manufacturing processes, making them a key player in the next generation of PV technologies. However, concerns surrounding the environmental and safety aspects of PSCs—especially the presence of lead and hazardous solvents—necessitate urgent research into sustainable recycling solutions. (Vidal et al., 2021a).
Selective dissolution has emerged as a promising method for reusing critical components such as glass substrates and electrodes, while a newly proposed mechanochemical approach shows potential for recycling encapsulated PSC devices with minimal performance loss. Despite these advancements, scalable recycling solutions for large-scale perovskite modules remain limited, highlighting a gap in the pathway to full circularity in the PV sector. (Vidal et al., 2021a).
Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides a powerful tool for evaluating the environmental implications of PSC production, use, and recycling, offering insights into the feasibility of large-scale implementation. Experimental investigations into recycling routes, systems modeling, and life cycle analyses reveal critical challenges and opportunities for optimizing recycling strategies. A periodic module replacement strategy is proposed to enhance the sustainability of PSC systems while addressing performance degradation over time.
Abstract
The rapid global adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology highlights the critical need for sustainable end-of-life (EOL) management of solar panels. With installed PV capacity projected to reach 4,500 GW by 2050, the associated waste volume is expected to exceed 78 million tonnes, presenting an environmental challenge of unprecedented scale. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as an emerging technology, combine high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 26% with cost-effective manufacturing processes, making them a key player in the next generation of PV technologies. However, concerns surrounding the environmental and safety aspects of PSCs—especially the presence of lead and hazardous solvents—necessitate urgent research into sustainable recycling solutions. (Vidal et al., 2021a).
Selective dissolution has emerged as a promising method for reusing critical components such as glass substrates and electrodes, while a newly proposed mechanochemical approach shows potential for recycling encapsulated PSC devices with minimal performance loss. Despite these advancements, scalable recycling solutions for large-scale perovskite modules remain limited, highlighting a gap in the pathway to full circularity in the PV sector. (Vidal et al., 2021a).
Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides a powerful tool for evaluating the environmental implications of PSC production, use, and recycling, offering insights into the feasibility of large-scale implementation. Experimental investigations into recycling routes, systems modeling, and life cycle analyses reveal critical challenges and opportunities for optimizing recycling strategies. A periodic module replacement strategy is proposed to enhance the sustainability of PSC systems while addressing performance degradation over time.
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di laurea
(Laurea magistrale)
Autore della tesi
Mohamed, Nada
Relatore della tesi
Correlatore della tesi
Scuola
Corso di studio
Ordinamento Cds
DM270
Parole chiave
life cycle assessment photovoltaic solar panel perovskite solar cell recycling
Data di discussione della Tesi
21 Marzo 2025
URI
Altri metadati
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di laurea
(NON SPECIFICATO)
Autore della tesi
Mohamed, Nada
Relatore della tesi
Correlatore della tesi
Scuola
Corso di studio
Ordinamento Cds
DM270
Parole chiave
life cycle assessment photovoltaic solar panel perovskite solar cell recycling
Data di discussione della Tesi
21 Marzo 2025
URI
Gestione del documento: