Standardization as a tool for promoting innovation and commercialization of a circular economy for PV waste — The example of the European H2020 project CABRISS

Focus of the research efforts is using Si waste for the high throughput, cost-effective manufacturing of hybrid Si based solar cells. The European H2020 project CABRISS (“Implementation of a circular economy based on recycled, reused and recovered Indium, Silicon and Silver materials for photovoltaic and other applications”) http://www.spire2030.eu/cabriss demonstrates the reusability and recyclability of end-of-life PV materials by associating together different sectors like the powder metallurgy (fabrication of Si powder based low cost substrate), the PV industry (innovative PV cells) and the industry of recycling (hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy) with a common aim: making use of recycled waste materials (Si, In and Ag). Proactive involvement in European standardization guarantees compatibility with the EU's WEEE directive. CABRISS proactively cooperates with SEMI's “TC Photovoltaics”, CENELEC's CLC/TC 111X “Environment” and CLC/TC 10 “Energy-related Products”. Thus, the consortium contributes to the interactions and benefits between research and standardization: raising awareness and fully exploiting the role of standards in order to increase the competitiveness of the EU.