The WEEE Directive, which now applies also to photovoltaic (PV) panels, represents an important challenge for PV panel producers in Europe. While the PV industry can build on the experience gained through the pan-European system for collection and recycling of end-of-life panels put in place in 2007 – PV Cycle – it will now be crucial to avoid an excessive variety of implementing measures at national level, which could jeopardise results achieved so far.
“It is important that EU legislators have included in the Directive reference to already existing schemes, such as PV Cycle, which can continue operating under the framework of the WEEE legislation,” said Jan Clyncke, Managing Director of PV Cycle. “This is a clear recognition of the expertise we gained and the network we have implemented since 2007.”
The PV industry calls on European policymakers to use the possibility foreseen in the Directive to set an individual collection target for PV panels. This would encourage separate collection of this product, whose composition and recycling techniques differ from those of other electrical and electronic equipment, such as TVs and radios.
“In order to reflect the very long lifetime of PV panels and the recent appearance of PV markets in Europe, an individual collection target for PV panels should be based on the quantities of end-of-life PV panels available,” said Reinhold Buttgereit, Secretary General of EPIA, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association. “The PV industry is ready to support the European Commission in establishing the methodology for a waste-generated approach.”
Record numbers
PV Cycle also announced at the end of January a new record for its collection network. Since the beginning of its operations in 2010, PV Cycle’s collection network increased by more than 130 percent to today 205 collection points, allowing the association to provide module owners in every EU27 and EFTA country with its services. Besides its fix collection partners, PV Cycle also offers pick-up services for large quantities of end-of-life PV modules.
“We started as one of the first PV Cycle collection points in Europe and appreciate the smooth collaboration with the organization”, describes Matthias Dax, responsible for PV module collection at German installer Wagner & Co Solartechnik GmbH, the work with PV Cycle. “By ensuring to take care of our customers’ end-of-life PV modules, we create an extra value for them”.
Besides the significant expansion of collection points, PV Cycle also recorded a steep increase in new members. In January 2012, the organization reached more than 240 members from across the world and PV value chain, representing approximately 90% of the European solar market. Supported by some of the most important players in the industry, the association can provide an efficient and cost-effective end-of-life treatment solution for PV modules.
“In the last month alone our membership grew by seven new members. The steady increase in our membership is a clear sign for the success of our business model and the hands-on experience that we gained in the last 18 months”, said Jan Clyncke, Managing Director of PV Cycle. Since 2010, the PV Cycle membership had grown from 126 to 240 today.
PV Cycle expects that with the recast WEEE Directive, coming into force in summer 2012, its membership will experience another significant growth. Regulating waste treatment for electronic and electrical equipment, the recast WEEE Directive will soon require manufacturers and importers of PV solar modules to ensure the appropriate collection and recycling of their end-of-life products.
PV Cycle is currently working on making its take-back and collection service WEEE-compliant, and will enable its members to meet new European and national waste laws.
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