Over 90% of each collected First Solar PV Module is recycled into new products, including new PV modules.

First Solar has developed an approach to recycling solar modules that enables substantially all components of the modules, including the glass and the encapsulated semiconductor material, to be treated and processed into new modules or other products. Ensuring that First Solar PV Modules are either disposed of appropriately or incorporated into new products, prevents unnecessary municipal waste from entering local communities.

• Collection: The modules are collected in hoppers and loaded by forklift into a shredder.
• Shredder: The modules are reduced in size by the shredder, which breaks the glass into large pieces.
• Hammermill: The hammermill crushes the broken glass into 4-5 mm pieces, small enough to ensure the lamination bond is broken.
• Film Removal: The semiconductor films are physically removed in a slowly rotating, stainless steel leach drum. Sulfuric acid is added at the beginning of the cycle, and hydrogen peroxide is added throughout the cycle to aid the process.
• Solid-Liquid Separation: The drum is slowly emptied into a classifier where glass is separated from the liquids.
• Glass-Laminate Material Separation: A vibrating screen separates the glass from the larger pieces of EVA (which formerly sealed the two pieces of glass together).
• Glass Rinsing: The glass is rinsed to remove any residual semiconductor material that physically remains on the glass.
• Precipitation: The separated metal components are concentrated in a thickening tank and the resulting filter cake is packaged for metals recovery by a third party. The metals are then recycled into commercial products or new solar modules.

Learn More Brookhaven Report: Experimental Investigation of Emissions and Redistribution of Elements in CdTe PV Modules During Fires Brookhaven Report: Lifecycle Analysis of Cadmium in CdTe PV Production