L R AS Published on Saturday 26 November 2022 - n° 426 - Categories:recycling
First system for reusing second-life panels
Japanese consortium launches first warranty system for second-life solar panels
Japanese companies Marubeni and Sompo Japan have joined forces
to guarantee against defects for second-life photovoltaic panels. Marubeni will verify the traceability and authenticity of panel information using blockchain technology.
Used photovoltaic panels will first be inspected by Marubeni to check their performance and reusability, and then the details will be placed on an information management platform. If Marubeni deems the quality of the used panels to be suitable for re-use, Sompo will then issue them with a second-use guarantee, referred to as a defect guarantee by the partners.
Marubeni plans to start selling second-life panels in 2023. Panels that do not pass the re-use check will be recycled, after being acquired by a subsidiary, Sompo Risk Management. The recycling process will be carried out in collaboration with Marubeni's information management platform.
PV Magazine 24 November 2022
Editor's note This process seems more judicious than the existing one in Europe, where the only solution is destruction by shredding, and where the most sought-after elements are the least obtained (silver, silicon).
