ECO SOLAR FACTORY: 40% PLUS ECO EFFICIENCY GAINS IN THE PHOTOVOLTAIC VALUE CHAIN WITH MINIMISED RESOURCE AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS
The European H2020 FOF 13 2015 Eco Solar project, that started in October 2015 envisions to increase resource and energy efficiency over the entire photovoltaic value chain, while simultaneously maximising recycling and remanufacturing possibilities, by introducing design for recovery, repair and reuse, and collaborating for improvements in waste reduction. Reusing materials and reducing the consumption of raw materials will make solar cell panels both cheaper and greener. When fewer resources, including critical materials are needed, the emissions of greenhouse gases from their production will decrease. Likewise, the energy consumed by these processes will be paid off faster than it is today. All this should improve market penetration for European PV producers. The overarching aim is to strengthen European PV companies who are driven by innovation and who are able to secure Europe's power supply in a sustainable way. The paper presents the methodology followed by EcoSolar to reach this ambitious goal.