Material recovery from end-of-life photovoltaics

About the Project

Solar energy is playing a key role in meeting growing global energy demands without compromising net zero targets. The UK currently has >20 GW of photovoltaic (PV) panels installed, the vast majority of which are based on crystalline silicon technologies. Silicon-based PV modules have typical operational lifespans of 25-30 years, but many current UK PV modules are nearing the end of their lifespan or are on sites selected for “repowering”. Recent work has forecast that cumulative end-of-life UK PV module numbers will exceed 100m (∼2m tonnes) by 2050 [1], with the tonnage of UK solar waste expected to exceed the current pan-European solar waste recycling capacity by 2035. Many of the materials contained within PV modules are deemed either critical or strategic, have high economic value, or have high embodied carbon/energy associated with their production [2].

This project is focused on the separation of silicon photovoltaic modules in order to extract and recover the materials within. The project will build on existing processes for battery recycling and iterate on these to develop protocols specific to PV modules. Both end-of-life and state-of-the-art modules will be considered, to ensure processes are compatible with evolving designs, noting that there is growing waste volume from rejected new PV modules.

This project can involve characterisation of starting silicon materials (e.g., photoluminescence imaging, carrier lifetime measurements), physical and chemical separation, (e.g., density, electrostatic, magnetic, froth flotation separation) using battery recycling infrastructure available in the School of Metallurgy and Materials, and characterisation of extracted materials through e.g., XRD, XRF, IR/Raman. The project will provide opportunities for collaboration with leading industrial and academic partners in the UK and internationally.

Funding Notes

Funding is available for Home (UK) students, covering fees and providing a stipend at UKRI rates for 42 months. The PhD project would suit a candidate with an undergraduate degree (2:1 minimum) in chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science.

References

1. “Forecasting solar module waste in the United Kingdom”, S. L. Pain, J.D. Murphy, Energy Strategy Reviews, 61 101849 (2025).
2. “Maximising environmental savings from silicon photovoltaics manufacturing to 2035”, B L Willis, O M Rigby, S L Pain, N E Grant, J D Murphy, R S Bonilla, N S Beattie, Nature Communications (2026).
3. “Reshaping the module: the path to comprehensive photovoltaic panel recycling”, P J M Isherwood, Sustainability, 14 1676, (2022)

Project supervisors

Dr Sophie Pain
Dr Rob Sommerville
Dr Elizabeth (Lizzie) Driscoll