Life-Cycle GHG Emissions of Solar Photovoltaic Panel Production and Panel Waste Management Options in Thailand

The installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) has increased rapidly worldwide including in Thailand. The most popular type is crystalline silicon-based type (c-si) accounting for more than 80% of the global market. It is estimated that Thailand will have solar PV waste of around 600,000 tonnes in 2036. Identifying the appropriate panel waste management measures is essential to protect the environmental quality and society. The study aims to compare the life-cycle GHG emissions of three solar PV waste management options including landfill, incineration and recycling. The reference unit is the treatment of a single-Si and multi-Si solar PV panel (1 m²). The results show that GHG emissions of panel waste management contributed around 5.5% to (-29%) of life cycle GHG emissions of Solar PV Panel. The life cycle GHG emissions of PV panel production with landfill method for panel waste treatment has the highest GHG emissions, i.e., around 164 kgCO₂-eq for multi-Si and 237 kgCO₂-eq for single-Si. The lowest GHG emission of solar PV is found for the case of recycling panel waste, i.e., about 110 kgCO₂-eq for multi-Si and 183 kgCO₂-eq. The recycling method can reduce GHG emissions by about 45 kg CO₂-eq. Recycling solar PV waste can recover 2.05 kg aluminum, 7.71 kg glass, 0.05 kg copper, 0.39 kg silicon, and 0.005 kg silver. About 0.78 kWh electricity and 5.65 thermal energy MJ are also obtained from recycling.