Investigating the Recycling Potential of Glass Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells—Melting Experiment

Abstract

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly clear, and the urgency of solving the energy and resource crisis has been recognized by politicians and society. One of the most important solutions is sustainable energy technologies. The problem with the state of the art, however, is that production is energy-intensive and non-recyclable waste remains after the useful life. For monocrystalline photovoltaics, for example, there are recycling processes for glass and aluminum, but these must rather be described as downcycling. The semiconductor material is not recycled at all. Another promising technology for sustainable energy generation is dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Although efficiency and long-term stability still need to be improved, the technology has high potential to complement the state of the art. DSSCs have comparatively low production costs and can be manufactured without toxic components. In this work, we present the world’ s first experiment to test the recycling potential of non-toxic glass-based DSSCs in a melting test. The glass constituents were analyzed by optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES), and the surface was examined by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). The glass was melted in a furnace and compared to a standard glass recycling process. The results show that the described DSSCs are suitable for glass recycling and thus can potentially circulate in a circular economy without a downcycling process. However, material properties such as chemical resistance, transparency or viscosity are not investigated in this work and need further research.

What is necessary to fill the technological gap to design sustainable dye-sensitized solar cells?

“…In cases in which reuse of the FTO glass substrate is not possible, this component can be recycled to produce non-conductive glass for different purposes, in some cases even without prior removal of other device components. 114 As they are a simple metallic strip deposited on top of the FTO, it should be possible to reuse the silver contacts (which, after the FTO glass, are the second most impactful component in a module) together with the substrate-semiconductor assembly after dye removal and after visual inspection for degraded contact paths, which should be restored. However, no experimental data exist to prove this possibility: investigation of silver contacts ageing is required.…”

Synergetic effect of TiO2/ZnO bilayer photoanodes realizing exceptionally high VOC for dye-sensitized solar cells under outdoor and indoor illumination

“…[6][7][8][9][10] In addition, the use of environmentally friendly materials, less energyintensive manufacturing process, possibilities of fabricating these devices on exible substrates like metal and plastics and the compliance for recycling and reusing further enhance the application possibilities and market penetration of DSCs. [11][12][13][14][15] Electronic communication devices in the IoT ecosystem require only low current (in the mA to mA range) but a higher threshold voltage (>1 V) for continuous operation. [16][17][18] This demands developing DSCs that deliver higher voltage, preferentially above 1 V under ambient/indoor illumination, from single junction devices, which will ultimately reduce the need for interconnection, thereby reducing the device's footprint and ownership cost.…”

A Review of Synthesis and Applications of Al2O3 for Organic Dye Degradation/Adsorption

“…Solar panels, including dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), are considered a sustainable source of renewable energy and a product that brings many benefits to the environment [1,2]. However, for this to be true, attention must be paid to the activities undertaken during the manufacturing process and after the planned end of the product's life cycle [3][4][5]. Nowadays, even technologies created as environmentally friendly, such as DSSCs, require the production of some hazardous substances.…”