Abstract
PV technology is considered as a clean source of energy. However, considering its whole lifecycle, waste management may become a huge concern. The current level of waste PV panel generations are very small due to its long lifespan, but after 25-30 years, PV panel may be one of the dominant waste to be managed. Waste generation estimation is the essential information to design the appropriate management system for any waste. The objective of this study was to estimate the future regional waste PV panel generations in China. Considering China’s huge land mass and socio-economic differences among the regions, regional estimates would be useful. The regional level was set to province in this research.The estimation was carried out in three steps: investigating the installation of PV panels, converting the installation (GW) to weight (ton), and estimating the scenarios for waste stream.From the result of Jiangsu province, it was found that: a) the difference of waste generation due to scenario settings is small before 2020, b) the maximum waste stream is roughly five times more than the minimum waste stream, c) the waste stream may decrease after 2040s.
