CIRCULAR-PV aims to develop and put to the test innovative circularity strategies combined with low environmental impact manufacturing of perovskite-based PV modules for the purpose of achieving reliable, sustainable, recyclable, and potentially lower cost PV modules. The minimization of the environmental impact throughout the whole lifecycle of the modules will be a priority in this project. The ultimate target is to achieve effective recycling of eco-friendly perovskite PV modules without sacrificing long-term stability and efficiency. The specific objectives are:
- To investigate the feasibility of using fully eco-friendly perovskite module manufacturing approaches for stable and almost 100% recyclable devices. E.g. In-free electrodes, Cs-free absorbers, eco-friendly solvents, eco-friendly ‘hermetic’ sealings, low energy fabrication processes, etc.
- To demonstrate sustainable eco-design perovskite modules1 with efficiency >18% that pass at 1000h of IEC/ ISOS indoor aging (damp heat, thermal cycling, operational stability tests)
- To study the field lifetime of the above sustainable eco-design devices through subjecting them to long-term outdoor aging at two different climatic locations
- To design appropriate aging protocols for circularity strategies for perovskite-based PV.
- To study the link between material recyclability and degradation pathways generated by real field operation as well as by indoor accelerated aging tests.
- Through the feedback loop between module manufacturing and material recovery, to demonstrate successful material recovery (>95%) without substantial quality loss.
- To study the feasibility for re-manufacturing eco-friendly perovskite modules of similar efficiency to ‘virgin’ modules using recycled material with different degrees and pathways of degradation.
- To maximize economic benefits associated with the modules through selection of non-critical materials, less energy-intensive fabrication and scalable/pre-industrial processes, module reliability optimization.
