In March 2026, six departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Comprehensive Utilization of Photovoltaic Modules,” which clearly stated that by 2027, breakthroughs should be made in key technologies such as surface structure disassembly, efficient separation of laminates, and component extraction; and by 2030, the level of technology and equipment for the comprehensive utilization of photovoltaic modules should be further improved. This policy encourages the extraction of metals such as silver, copper, lead, and tin to improve the purity of silicon materials, and to study low-cost extraction technologies for low-value components such as glass and encapsulant films [11]. In 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Recycling of Decommissioned Wind Power and Photovoltaic Equipment,” proposing to build a recycling system covering green design, standardized recycling, high-value utilization, and harmless disposal.
However, the photovoltaic module recycling and component extraction industry is currently facing a dilemma of difficulty in making a profit. On the one hand, the large-scale decommissioning period has not yet arrived, and the market supply is insufficient; on the other hand, some enterprises are limited by technology, and their processing methods are relatively simple, resulting in a large waste of resources. Furthermore, the industry suffers from rampant illegal recycling and dismantling. Small-scale recycling workshops, exempt from environmental processing costs, can recycle used modules at higher prices, making it difficult for legitimate recycling companies to profit and disrupting market order.
To regulate industry development, industry standards are being developed. For example, the group standard “Technical Specifications for Recycling and Disposal of Retired Photovoltaic Modules” has passed technical review. Simultaneously, industry-academia-research collaboration has yielded initial results. For instance, the high-efficiency integrated process technology and domestically produced equipment for recycling crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules developed by the State Power Investment Corporation have been included in the National Energy Administration’s list of first-of-its-kind major technical equipment.
In the future, it is necessary to further guide industry-academia-research collaboration, jointly conduct research on key technologies for the recycling and utilization of retired photovoltaic modules, focusing on developing new technologies and processes for high-purity separation and high-value utilization of modules, improving the recycling purity and utilization rate of key materials such as silicon wafers, silver, copper, and tin. Utilizing intelligent equipment to reduce costs and ultimately constructing a complete life-cycle recycling system for photovoltaic modules covering “recycling—separation—refining—remanufacturing—reapplication” will improve the efficiency of the industrial chain.
