Peel off the cover glass with a high-pressure water stream and promote the recycling of solar panels
Water jet stripped solar panel
(Source: Shintora Kosan)
Water jet stripped solar panel
(Source: Shintora Kosan)
On January 10, Shintora Kosan (Osaka City), which handles the removal work and dismantling of plants and electrical equipment, announced that it had established a new construction method that uses water jets to dismantle solar panels for each material. It has already been patented and aims to be put into practical use around 2025-2026.
Solar panels have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, and 170,000 to 280,000 tons are expected to be discarded annually in 2036. On the other hand, the cells (power generation elements) of solar panels contain hazardous substances such as lead, selenium, and cadmium, and these must be disposed of properly.
The new method announced this time removes the cell without shattering the cover glass by spraying high-pressure water from the back of the solar panel. No harmful substances adhere to the cover glass, and it can be taken out in its original form. This facilitates glass recycling (reuse as a material). In addition, it is possible to remove contaminants contained in the waste water using a dedicated filtering device, thereby preventing environmental pollution. We have introduced an ultra-high pressure water generator (ultra-high pressure pump) that minimizes power consumption with an inverter, contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
In the future, we will repeat tests to adapt to solar panels of all manufacturers, and jointly develop automation equipment to establish a mass production system with water jet manufacturer Sugino Machine (Namekawa City, Toyama Prefecture). We will also explore ways to reuse the cover glass from which the battery cells have been completely removed.
Shintora Kosan is engaged in the demolition and processing business from the removal of lifeline facilities such as electric power companies.In particular, we are conscious of the environment, such as the steel material cutting method without fire using water jets and the filtration technology for wastewater containing harmful substances. I am working on a construction project. In addition, we have a sorting and dismantling factory, and we process special equipment so that it can be recycled.
