The partnership is hoping to boost thin film PV technology supply chains across India, specifically large-scale manufacturing, module testing and ‘high-value recycling’. It builds on First Solar’s plans to set up a PV manufacturing hub in the Tamil Nadu region in the second half of the year.
According to the US manufacturer, it can recover more than 90% of module materials for reuse, providing high-quality secondary resources for new solar panels, glass, rubber, and aluminium products. It favours closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules.
‘First Solar has demonstrated the potential of thin film to counter China’s dominance of crystalline silicon with high-performance solar panels that are competitive, sustainable, and responsibly produced,’ says Ashok Jhunjhunwala, president of IIT Madras Research Park. ‘We are pleased to collaborate with the company to broaden our understanding of its technology while sharing our expertise in renewables.’
Optimising the design and afterlife of next-generation solar panels is seen as a ‘tremendous opportunity’ for India, which is eager to establish a clean energy sector.
First Solar was launched in Arizona in 1999 and is among the world’s 10 largest PV module producers. The company’s eco-efficient module technology, which uses its proprietary cadmium telluride (CadTel) semiconductor, is claimed to have the lowest carbon and water footprints of any PV module.
Also in May, First Solar acquired Sweden’s Evolar, a European leader in perovskite technology. The move is expected to further accelerate the development of thin film PV. Evolar’s laboratory in Uppsala will continue to conduct research activity, marking the first time that First Solar will have an R&D facility in Europe.
https://recyclinginternational.com/business/india-eyes-closed-loop-solar-panels/53751/
