PNRR · NextGenerationEU

Re.S.T.O.Re-PVP

Sustainable thermo-mechanical demanufacturing process for end-of-life photovoltaic panel recycling.

Overview

Circular economy for photovoltaic panels

Re.S.T.O.Re-PVP develops a sustainable thermo-mechanical demanufacturing process for end-of-life photovoltaic panel recycling. The project addresses a growing circular economy challenge: with the rapid increase in photovoltaic installations, the volume of panels destined for disposal is also growing — panels rich in valuable materials (glass, silicon, aluminium, silver) that can be recovered and re-entered into the production chain.

The project is part of the NEST (Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition) programme, funded by PNRR under Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.3 of NextGenerationEU.

Project details

Project code: T01_NEST_RESTOREPVP
Main project: PE_00000021 – NEST
CUP: B73C22001280006
Funding: PNRR – NextGenerationEU, M4C2, Inv. 1.3

Objectives

Material recovery and green transition

Thermo-mechanical demanufacturing

Development of sustainable thermo-mechanical processes for separation and recovery of end-of-life photovoltaic panel components, minimising environmental impacts.

Applied circular economy

Reintegration of recovered materials — glass, silicon, aluminium, silver — into the production chain, reducing extraction of virgin raw materials.

Energy transition sustainability

Addressing the photovoltaic panel disposal problem as an integral part of the transition to renewable energy.

Process innovation

Development of innovative methodologies for treating complex composite materials, transferable to other green economy sectors.

NEST programme – Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition

NEST – Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition

Part of an ecosystem for sustainable energy transition

Re.S.T.O.Re-PVP is one of the research projects funded under the NEST programme, a broad network of excellence to accelerate sustainable energy transition in Italy. The programme involves universities, research centres and companies to develop innovative technological solutions across the entire renewable energy supply chain.