Suntech to develop solar module recycling program

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. announced that it has joined the PV Cycle Association which is engaged in establishing a voluntary take-back and recycling program for end-of-life PV modules.

“With over 1.1GW of Suntech solar products shipped worldwide since our inception, we believe it is essential that Suntech take a proactive role in developing effective recycling programs. We are looking forward to collaborating with the PV CYCLE association and further developing our internal module recycling initiative,” added Jerry Stokes, Suntech’s vice president of strategy and business development.

PV modules are designed to generate clean, renewable energy for over 25 years. With the first significant installations in the early 1990s, full-scale end-of-life recycling is still another 10 to 15 years away. Nevertheless, the PV CYCLE association is already developing plans to develop a recycling program that minimizes waste and maximizes re-use of valuable resources such as glass, silicon and aluminum.