An example of the NPC solar panel recycling equipment
Image: NPC
Japanese glass, chemicals and materials manufacturer AGC said it will collaborate with solar PV equipment maker NPC Incorporated to promote the recycling of solar panel cover glass and its use as part of the raw material used in the production of architectural flat glass.
As part of setting up the recycling programme, AGC said it had provided advice on equipment specifications and supported the development of a logistics network to facilitate the efficient collection of glass fragments. It confirmed that NPC’s patented solar panel disassembly equipment, which separates the solar cells and removes residual ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) material without breaking the glass, meets AGC’s stringent quality standards.
“This will allow recyclers to take over NPC’s equipment and sell high-quality recycled glass to AGC,” the company said.
It further noted that in September it had used 20 tonnes of cullet processed by this method as part of the raw materials for the manufacture of patterned glass at its technical center in Yokohama.
Other methods, such as pyrolysis and high-pressure water jet technologies, were also mentioned as suitable for this type of solar panel cover glass recycling.
In a separate release, NPC said it aims to “expand sales of its solar panel recycling machine and promote the realization of solar panel recycling.”
According to AGC’s announcement, the collaboration between the two companies is intended for Japan and abroad.
The glass recycling initiative is part of a project commissioned by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
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