ERI: CAS- Climate: Design for Recyclability: Perovskite Solar Technology for Sustainable Energy Future

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。钙钛矿太阳能光伏（PV）电池最近引起了全世界的关注，它们在21世纪20年代有很大的潜力进入全球光伏市场。尽管如此，钙钛矿光伏的利益相关者将受益于更多地了解如何可持续地管理钙钛矿太阳能组件（PSM）产生的废物。如果psm最终被送到垃圾填埋场并被粉碎，携带重金属的有害化合物可能会渗入环境。考虑到目前psm的使用寿命较短，社会可能会因psm的部署而面临环境问题。该项目旨在开发用于确定可回收性设计（DfR）指南的工具，这些指南可能为PSM提供可持续的途径，并启动新兴技术的可持续寿命终止管理（EoLM）的长期研究途径。该项目旨在协同整合三个目标：(1)确定可持续EoLM方案的经济和环境层面（再利用、重新利用、再制造等）；(2)优化循环EoL方案，提供比提取原始材料更环保的二次材料；(3)通过开发环境经济模型、创建决策支持工具和举办研讨会，促进太阳能产业利益相关者的环境可持续性。该项目有两个主要重点。首先，PSM架构将按照可回收原则进行设计。DfR的重点是通过回收生产有价值的产品。现有的光伏技术错过了这个机会，例如，对于硅光伏来说，回收过程的典型产出经济价值很低。许多光伏回收商不愿意接受废弃光伏或将EoLM成本留给最终用户。然而，有可能打开PSM模块的玻璃-玻璃夹层结构而不破坏玻璃内容。因此，光伏回收商可以在EoL生产有价值的产品（镀膜浮法玻璃、平板玻璃、Au或Ag块），生产出可行的产品，这些产品可以在光伏和其他行业中再制造、再利用或重新利用。其次，PI将使用基于可持续性的权衡分析来评估EoLM所涉及的潜在过程。这种方法是环境经济学的减排成本概念和可持续性工程的损害成本概念的交叉点。PI旨在应用这些概念来构建一个EoLM方案，以最大化净社会效益（包括私人成本和效益以及减排成本）。考虑到psm是太阳能产业的一个重要利基市场，制定环境经济模型来评估psm的EoL阶段是合适的，并告知光伏利益相关者关于环境、经济和社会可持续太阳能的途径。该项目旨在引导环境可持续和经济上可行的钙钛矿太阳能技术，甚至在EoL阶段。该项目团队将与美国先进钙钛矿制造公司、美国领先的太阳能公司以及国际非营利能源行业协会密切合作。项目小组将与拉皮德城可持续发展常务委员会密切合作，提高当地对环境友好和可行的EoL管理替代方案的认识，组织活动（例如地球周庆祝活动），开展外联活动和放映纪录片，以及举行公开研讨会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Perovskite solar photovoltaic (PV) cells have recently attracted worldwide attention, and there is great potential for them to enter the global PV market in the 2020s. Still, perovskite PVs stakeholders would benefit from knowing more about how to manage the waste from perovskite solar modules (PSM) sustainably. If PSMs are eventually sent and crushed in landfills, harmful compounds carrying heavy metals could leach into the environment. Considering the current short lifespan of PSMs, society may face environmental problems due to the deployment of PSMs. This project aims to develop the tools for identifying design-for-recyclability (DfR) guidelines that may provide sustainable pathways for PSM and initiate long-term research avenues in sustainable end-of-life management (EoLM) of emerging technologies. The project aims to integrate three objectives synergistically: (1) Identify economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable EoLM scenarios (reuse, repurpose, remanufacture, etc.) for PSMs; (2) Optimize circular EoL options for providing more environmentally friendly secondary materials than extracting primary materials; and (3) Foster environmental sustainability for solar industry stakeholders by developing enviro-economic models, creating decision support tools, and offering workshops.The project has two principal foci. First, PSM architecture will be designed with recyclability principles. The focal point of DfR is producing valuable products from recycling. This opportunity was missed for established PV technologies- e.g., for silicon PV, the typical outputs of the recycling process are low in economic value. Many PV recyclers do not want to accept waste PV or leave the EoLM cost to the end- users. However, it may be possible to open the glass-glass sandwich structures of PSM modules without crashing glass content. As a result, PV recyclers could generate valuable products (coated float glass, flat glass, Au or Ag chunks) at the EoL, producing viable products that can be remanufactured and reused or repurposed in PV and other industries. Second, the PI will assess potential processes involved in EoLM using sustainability-based tradeoff analyses. This approach resides at the crossroads of the abatement cost concept from environmental economics and damage cost concept from sustainability engineering. The PI aims to apply these concepts to construct an EoLM scenario that maximizes net social benefits (including private cost and benefits and abatement costs). Considering that PSMs are an important niche market for the solar energy industry, it is appropriate to formulate enviro-economic models to assess the EoL phase of PSMs and inform PV stakeholders regarding the pathways for environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable solar energy. This project seeks to lead to environmentally sustainable and economically viable perovskite solar technology even in the EoL phase. The project team will work closely with US Manufacturing of Advanced Perovskite, leading American solar companies, and international not-for-profit associations of the energy industry. The project team will work closely with Rapid City’s Standing Committee for Sustainability, increasing awareness about environmentally friendly and feasible EoL management alternatives locally, and organizing events (e.g., Earth Week celebrations), developing outreach activities and screening documentaries, and holding public seminars.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.