End of Use, Circularity, and Sustainability Considerations in Solar Photovoltaic Module Design and Product Development and Support

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules have advanced for decades driven by end-user needs and societal goals, often environmental. This study explores module design trends and environmental considerations based on published materials and industry surveys and interviews. Augmenting the traditional emphasis on improving performance and cost, technology innovation has increasingly focused on realizing efficiencies in materials and manufacturing to gain competitive edge. With PV industry scale-up well under way and increasing recognition that the volume of defective, damaged, and spent modules will explode in the decades ahead, an additional design objective-addressing end of use, circularity, and sustainability-is emerging. Technology learning and market pull in these areas can help in reducing PV's levelized cost of energy and improving the value proposition offered by module manufacturers.