Solar Panel Shredder

Solar energy is getting popular and affordable after such technology is matured over the years and financially subsidized. Solar panels have a designed service life of 15-30 years, solar panel shredder can recycle the panels. While enjoying the green energy, have you thought of recycling solar panels or where do they go after discarded?

Solar panel size reduction

The first question is: are solar panels recyclable?

Solar panels are a frame containing layers of cell and glass. They are reusable, so the answer to the question is yes.

Of course, they are fully recyclable by a proper treatment involving mechanical disassembly, size reduction and separation. After manual removal of the aluminum frame, junction box and wires, the rest is comprised of silicon(cell) and glass sheet. To further separate silicon and glass sheet, they shall go through a series of shredding (solar panel crusher) as well as  thermal and metal separation.

While the materials are re-used to make solar panels, such as aluminum, glass, copper, and silicon, are widely recycled. There are some components that require specialized handling by solar panel shredder. Such industrial shredder is a two-shaft crusher, a very versatile size reduction machine.

Solar panel crusher

Why Solar Panel Shredder Matters

Solar panels are forbidden to be discarded in landfills, which becomes a solid waste regulation in more countires. In a most simple way, a solar panel shredder can shred a bulky panel into unrecognizable pieces. The solar panel crusher can downsize a panel in one step and produce 40-100mm chips. Please note that simply shredding is not a good deed for the recycliny.

In a more sophisticated aspect of recycling process, a solar panel shredder can disintegrate glass sheets from cells. Following by ferrous and non-ferrous separation, the system can obtain iron parts and aluminum frame and copper wire.

Silica power and glass after shredding can be separated by vibration and static. This becomes a real close-loop of a solar panel recycling.