Barriers analysis to Chinese waste photovoltaic module recycling under the background of "double carbon"

Abstract

With the advent of large-scale photovoltaic module decommissioning, China's photovoltaic recycling industry is confronted with numerous challenges. This paper examines the barriers to the recycling of waste photovoltaic modules. First, 11 Barriers affecting the recycling of waste photovoltaic modules were identified through sorting; second, the Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM) method was improved by incorporating the Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Set (HFLTS) and the time factor, and an obstacle analysis framework based on this method was built; finally, the interaction relationship between the obstacles to recycling was investigated. According to the study's findings, the difficulty to do recycling operations in batches for an extended period of time, costly initial investment, lack of incentives and small market size are the major constraints affecting the recycling of waste PV modules. After 10 years, the impact of costly initial investment and small market size will diminish, while the impact of inadequate infrastructure will increase. To eliminate critical impediments and encourage the healthy development of the photovoltaic recycling industry, the government should carry out work in four areas: recycling standards, incentive policies, technology research and development, and demonstration site construction.