JinkoSolar develops innovative recycling process for solar panels

       JinkoSolar has developed a method for recycling 92% of the materials that comprise a solar panel, including cells, front glass, back sheet, aluminum frame, copper wire, encapsulation material, and junction box.

　　Unlike traditional recycling methods, which mix materials and make separation difficult, the company's solution separates the glass and silicon wafer through thermal and mechanical processes and takes advantage of the different melting points of encapsulation materials such as thermoset EVA/POE when the module is heated for disassembly. Once the encapsulation material has decomposed, the module can be easily disassembled, with elements such as glass and ribbon being able to be separated whole from the panel rather than as pellets. This process not only preserves the purity of the materials, but also allows silver to be extracted from intact solar wafers, which means that JinkoSolar panels will no longer be discarded into landfill at the end of their useful life.