A comprehensive review on the recycling technology of silicon based photovoltaic solar panels: Challenges and future outlook

With the aim of realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement, annual solar power generation on a global scale using silicon PV panels had exceeded 1000 TWh by the end of 2021. Mass installation of silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) panels exhibited a socioenvironmental threat to the biosphere, i.e., the electronic waste (e-waste) from PV panels that is projected to reach 78 million tonnes by the year 2050. Recycling PV panels through e-waste management is crucial step in minimizing the environmental impact of end-of-life PV systems such as the release of heavy metals into the environment. An increasing amount of academic research on recycling approaches to PV panels that suggests different technology and policy…