Abstract:

This paper takes Shandong Province as example, one of the most aggressive regions in solar energy adoption in China, to examine the economic feasibility of recycling thin-film PV modules. Based on China 8760 electric power grid model and potential of solar demand, total installed capacity of solar photovoltaic cells and spatial distribution in 2050 are estimated. Benefit-cost analysis is conducted for the recycling of CIGS thin-film PV modules through the material flow analysis under three scenarios: 1) economy of scale, with one centralized recycling facility serving the whole province; 2) convenience for users, with two large recycling facilities closed to most populated cities, i.e. Jinan and Qingdao; 3) producer responsibility, four major PV producers in Shandong take back the end-of-life products and build recycling facilities close to their plants. The result shows that solution 3 has cost advantage in take back transportation. The paper discusses the potential to encourage producer responsibility in the PV manufacturing sector, and its implication in the entire energy industry.

Key words: CIGS thin-film PV modules, recycling, extended producer responsibility, cost-benefit analysis, Shandong Province

摘要：

以山东省为例, 按照世界自然基金会(WWF)的中国8760电网模型和山东省太阳能消费需求潜力, 设置2050 年山东省太阳能光伏电池装机总量和空间分布的情景分析模型。在此基础上, 根据铜铟镓硒薄膜太阳能电池组件的物质流构成, 计算实现材料再循环的成本收益, 并评估3种情景下实现资源回收和再循环的经济可行性。1) 规模经济情景: 按照运输成本最小化假设, 全省建立一家集中循环处理设施; 2) 市场导向情景: 在人口最密集的两个大都市区(济南和青岛)附近建立集中循环处理设施; 3) 生产者责任延伸情景: 由6家铜铟镓硒生产企业利用生产区位提供循环处理设施。结果表明, 生产者责任延伸情景具有最佳的成本收益结果, 由此进一步探讨生产者责任延伸制度对再生能源技术方向和基础设施发展的意义。

关键词: 铜铟镓硒薄膜太阳能电池, 循环利用, 延伸生产者责任制度, 成本-收益分析, 山东