PACI Global has completed the REEMER project – Reuse of Electronic Equipment of the Renewable Energies Market, with the support of the Waste Agency of Catalonia in the framework of the line of promotion of the circular economy.
The main objective of the project is to design, test and validate a model for the recovery, repair and reuse of photovoltaic panels, but it is not the only one.
The project has also addressed key aspects such as the definition of a complete treatment protocol, the technical validation of the process, the environmental quantification using LCA and the viability analysis of the business model.
What have we done?
• We have developed a comprehensive protocol for the collection, diagnosis, repair, and verification of panels.
• Eurecat has conducted characterization tests, I-V curve analysis, and real-world trials, validating the electrical performance of the refurbished panels.
• A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been carried out comparing the impact of a refurbished panel to that of a new one.
• We have analyzed the technical, environmental, and economic viability of the model in the current and future context.
Main conclusions
The results show that, although it is technically possible to repair panels with guarantees, the actual cost of remanufacturing is significantly higher than the market price of a new panel.
Therefore, the current model is not economically viable without integrating other value-added elements such as:
• environmental and carbon footprint criteria,
• extended producer responsibility systems,
• traceability and circular economy guarantees,
• public policies for return and reuse.
However, the project points to a clear future opportunity: in the next 10 years, a very high volume of aged panels, still functional but with reduced performance, will reach the market. Here, second-life recycling can become a viable and necessary business, both for environmental and economic reasons
#CircularEconomy #SolarEnergy #Reuse #Sostenibilitat #Innovació #PACIglobal #Eurecat #ARC #REEMER
