SBIR Phase I: Closed Loop Recycling of Copper Indium Diselenide Photovoltaic Modules

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This Small Business Innovation (SBIR) Phase I Research project addresses the environmental issuesconfronting the emerging photovoltaic technology based on copper indium diselenide. This technology has just entered the commercial market. As it expands into high volume production the industry faces rising raw material costs, escalating waste disposal costs and future liabilities. This project develops an electrochemical method specifically tailored to recycle photovoltaic modules which contain extremely low quantities of hazardous material relative to large bulk stream. It uses an innovative closed-loop approach to remove, separate and regenerate the semiconductor films in a single compact system with minimum waste. Phase I will develop the method for copper indium diselenide. The research will lead to unique a prototype recycling capability that is safe, fast, cost-effective, non-destructive, simple to operate and easy to maintain and that could be readily integrated into the manufacturing line. Converting defective panels into efficient modules will lead to rapid turn-around and higher production yield.The innovation will provide the photovoltaic industry with a timely and expedient solution to manage hazardous waste disposal and improve module production yield. Its implementation would increase productivity, save over 80% on disposal costs, recover scarce raw materials and ensure the commercial success of thin-film photovoltaic technology. The approach can be applied to recycle other thin-film products, e.g. infrared detectors, flat panel displays, mirror scrap.