FAQ

In general, all photovoltaic panels are recyclable.

Indeed, there are risk-free procedures for silicon-based panels as well as for thin-film panels containing cadmium. Moreover, recycling is regulated by the European Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment, which is transposed into national law by the law of 9 June 2022 on waste electrical and electronic equipment: this framework currently requires at least 80% of the mass of a photovoltaic panel to be prepared for reuse or recycled, and 85% of the mass to be recovered.

The recycling rate of photovoltaic modules is nevertheless close to 100%, considering that the modules are generally composed mainly of glass, aluminium and other metals. Net modules usually contain very limited amounts of synthetic materials, such as silicon or other minerals. However, it is technically possible to recycle these elements, even if the processes for extracting them are not yet cost-effective. Thus, these materials are currently mainly used for thermal recovery.

To date, there are no limitations regarding the availability of materials for the production of photovoltaic panels, or there are alternatives for the use of the most critical materials.

Silicon is the main material for cells of the same name and does not pose any problems in terms of availability. Other materials, such as silver, can be substituted with other materials without directly degrading cell performance.

For thin-film cells, indium, tellurium, gallium, selenium and cadmium are considered critical resources. The exact impact of market developments on the availability of these minerals is still a subject of research.

With regard to cells made of silicon, which are by far the most widely used on the Luxembourg market, current production techniques do not require the use of any substances that are harmful to the environment.

Thin-film cells use elements such as cadmium or tellurium. The quantities used for the production of related modules are, however, minimal, especially for cells composed of cadmium telluride, known as CdTe. CdTe has low toxicity and the environmental consequences are considered negligible compared to the impact that could be caused by other means of electricity generation.

The environmental impact is taken into account over the entire life cycle. Thus, environmental effects (such as the impact on climate change, the extraction of minerals, toxicity for human beings, etc.) are taken into consideration during the production and operation of the photovoltaic installation, including the savings made due to the energy produced during its life cycle.

Even if we consider that the production of certain photovoltaic panels requires scarce resources and hazardous materials, the environmental impact throughout their life cycle is less than that caused by the national or European electricity mix. This overall impact can be further reduced by recycling end-of-life panels or by refurbishing used panels for reuse in a second life.

The amortisation period defines the time it takes for a photovoltaic system to produce the same amount of energy as that required for its manufacture. This is achieved by dividing the energy consumed in the production of the module by the annual energy output of the module.

In general, the amortisation period for the types of panels currently available on the market is less than two years in Central Europe. Thus, cells made of silicon, by far the most widely used on the Luxembourg market, have an amortisation period of less than two years; for thin-film cells, which are currently emerging on the market, this goes down to less than one year.