Solar panel recycling method and solar panel recycling system

Abstract

The present invention selects an appropriate recycling method according to the degree of deterioration of a solar panel.　This solar panel recycling method comprises: a detection step for detecting a micro crack developed in a glass panel constituting a discarded solar panel both in a state where distortion is generated in the glass panel by pressing the solar panel and in a state where distortion is not generated in the glass panel; a determination step for determining the likelihood of the glass panel fracturing, on the basis of a change in state of the micro crack before and after the distortion is generated; and a selection step for selecting a recycling method for the solar panel on the basis of a determination result on the likelihood of the glass panel being fractured.

Description

Solar panel recycling method and solar panel recycling system

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar panel recycling method and a solar panel recycling system. This invention claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-010360, filed on January 26, 2024, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into this application in designated states where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted.

[0002] In recent years, the installation of solar panels has increased, and it is expected that the disposal of deteriorated solar panels will increase in the future. It is desirable to dismantle and separate discarded solar panels into glass panels, silicon cells, metals, sealing materials, etc., and recycle each component. However, in reality, due to the high cost of dismantling and separating, they are often disposed of in landfills, and it is predicted that final disposal sites (landfill sites) will be depleted by 2040. Therefore, there is a need for technology that will reduce the amount of solar panels disposed of in landfills and enable low-cost recycling.

[0003] Regarding the recycling of solar panels, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a "recycling method and recycling device characterized by measuring the thickness of the glass plate of a solar cell module in which a glass plate and a solar cell element are laminated via a sealing material, and determining the range of movement of a crushing means for crushing the glass plate of the solar cell module based on the information on the measured thickness of the glass plate, and crushing the glass plate."

[0004] JP 2015-192942 A

[0005] In the case of the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that the glass panels of the solar cell module will be crushed and recycled, so it is not a problem if the glass panels obtained by dismantling and separating the solar panels have cracks or other damage.

[0006] On the other hand, when the glass panels obtained by dismantling and separating solar panels are to be reused as second-hand goods, the dismantling and separation work must be carried out in a way that minimizes the occurrence of damage such as cracks in the glass panels, i.e., in a way that increases the yield rate.

[0007] However, discarded solar panels have usually been used outdoors for many years, and the degree of deterioration varies, so it is essential to select a recycling method that suits the degree of deterioration of the solar panels, such as dismantling and separating them to reuse them as second-hand goods, or crushing and melting them to use them as materials for products.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to enable selection of an appropriate recycling method depending on the degree of deterioration of a solar panel.

[0009] The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows.

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, a solar panel recycling method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a detection step of detecting microcracks that have occurred in the glass panel when a discarded solar panel is pressed to cause distortion in the glass panel that constitutes the solar panel, and when no distortion is caused in the glass panel; a determination step of determining the susceptibility of the glass panel to break based on changes in the state of the microcracks before and after causing the distortion; and a selection step of selecting a recycling method for the solar panel based on the determination result of the susceptibility of the glass panel to break.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to select an appropriate recycling method depending on the degree of deterioration of the solar panel.

[0012] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a solar panel recycling system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a microcrack inspection device. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining an optimal amount of strain. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining an optimal amount of strain. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining an optimal amount of strain. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the solar panel recycling system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a solar panel recycling system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the solar panel recycling system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a solar panel recycling system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a machine learning device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the solar panel recycling system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional solar panel recycling system.

[0014] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Each embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural. The position, size, shape, and scope of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, and scope to facilitate understanding of the invention. In all drawings used to explain the embodiments, identical components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description of such components will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, a component (including an element step, etc.) is not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle. Furthermore, when a term "consisting of A," "made of A," "having A," or "including A" is used, it does not exclude other elements unless otherwise specified, such as when referring to only that element. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of a component, etc., it includes substantially similar or similar shapes, etc., unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle. Furthermore, the term "obtain" includes, as specific examples, at least the subject generating, calculating, and receiving from the outside.

[0015] <Configuration Example of Conventional Solar Panel Recycling System 100> First, in order to clarify the difference between the present invention and the prior art, a configuration example of a conventional solar panel recycling system 100 will be described.

[0016] 12 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional solar panel recycling system 100. The solar panel recycling system 100 includes a solar panel performance inspection device 101, a solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102, a silicon cell and metal remelting facility 103, and a glass remelting facility 104.

[0017] The solar panel performance inspection device 101 inspects the power generation performance of discarded solar panels 1, evaluates their future useful life based on the power generation performance, and determines whether the future useful life is equal to or greater than a threshold value d (e.g., 10 years). Reusable solar panels 2 whose future useful life is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold value d are cleaned and reused as second-hand solar panels. At this time, the reusable solar panels 2 are traded at a price commensurate with their useful life and the amount of electricity they can generate in the future. Non-reusable solar panels 3 whose future useful life is determined to be less than the threshold value d are sent to solar panel dismantling and separation equipment 102.

[0018] The solar panel dismantling and separation equipment 102 separates non-reusable solar panels 3 into glass panels 4, silicon cells and metal 6, and other sealing materials (not shown) using mechanical methods such as disassembly with blades, decomposition by peeling off the adhesive by heating, decomposition by dissolving only the adhesive layer by irradiating with laser light, and decomposition by high-pressure water jets.

[0019] Glass panels 4 that are not damaged, such as cracked or scratched, during separation are cleaned and then reused, for example, as materials for solar panels. Broken glass 5 that is damaged, such as cracked or scratched, during separation is sent to glass remelting equipment 104, where it is melted and becomes materials for newly manufactured glass panels, etc. The separated silicon cells and metals 6 are sent to silicon cell and metal remelting equipment 103, where they are melted and become materials for silicon cells, metal frames for solar panels, etc. The separated sealing materials, etc. are disposed of as waste.

[0020] In addition, if cracks or other damage occur when separating the glass panel 4 from the non-reusable solar panel 3 in the solar panel dismantling and separation equipment 102, the work line must be stopped temporarily and time must be taken to clean up the broken glass 5, etc., which significantly reduces recycling efficiency.

[0021] Therefore, in this embodiment, before separating the glass panels 4 from the non-reusable solar panels 3 in the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102, it is determined whether the glass panels of the solar panels 1 are likely to break during dismantling and separation, and if they are likely to break, they are crushed and disposed of without being sent to the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102. This makes it possible to improve the yield rate of the glass panels 4 in the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102 (the rate at which the glass panels 4 can be separated without breakage).

[0022] <Configuration Example of Solar Panel Recycling System 10 According to First Embodiment of the Present Invention> FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a solar panel recycling system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The solar panel recycling system 10 is a conventional solar panel recycling system 100 (FIG. 12) to which a microcrack inspection device 11 and solar panel crushing equipment 12 have been added. Note that the same symbols are used for devices and equipment that are common to the solar panel recycling system 10 and the solar panel recycling system 100, and their explanations will be omitted. The microcrack inspection device 11 corresponds to the first microcrack inspection device of the present invention.

[0024] The microcrack inspection device 11 employs at least one of an optical interference method and an ultrasonic flaw detection method to detect microcracks that have occurred in the glass panel that constitutes the discarded solar panel 1, and determines whether the glass panel is prone to breakage based on the detection results. However, since the optical interference method requires less detection time than the ultrasonic flaw detection method, it is preferable to employ the optical interference method when considering reducing the cost required for recycling.

[0025] Then, the microcrack inspection device 11 selects a recycling method for the solar panel 1 based on the fragility of the glass panel that constitutes the solar panel 1. Specifically, a solar panel 1 that is determined to have a glass panel that is not fragile (hard to break) is sent to the solar panel performance inspection device 101, and thereafter is recycled in the same manner as before.

[0026] On the other hand, solar panels 1 whose glass panels are determined to be fragile are sent to solar panel crushing equipment 12 and crushed, and the crushed glass 7 obtained as a result is sent to glass remelting equipment 104, and the silicon cells and metals 8 are sent to silicon cell and metal remelting equipment 103. Other crushed materials such as sealing materials are disposed of as waste.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a microcrack inspection device 11 when an optical interference method is adopted.

[0028] The microcrack inspection device 11 includes a fixing unit 111 , a pressing unit 112 , an illumination unit 113 , an imaging unit 114 , and an image processing unit 115 .

[0029] The fixing parts 111 fix both longitudinal ends of the solar panel 1. The pressing parts 112 press the glass panel of the solar panel 1 from the surface opposite to the surface irradiated with light from the lighting part 113 in a direction that bends the glass panel of the solar panel 1 (from the lower surface in the drawing to the upper direction), causing strain of a strain amount SL (strain length) in the glass panel of the solar panel 1 (the strain amount SL will be described later).

[0030] The illumination unit 113 irradiates light of interference fringes 116 consisting of a plurality of concentric circles from an oblique direction onto the solar panel 1. The imaging unit 114 images the interference fringes 116 in each of a state where the pressing unit 112 is not pressing against the glass panel of the solar panel 1 (a state where no distortion is occurring) and a state where the pressing unit 112 is pressing against the glass panel of the solar panel 1 (a state where distortion is occurring), and outputs the two obtained images of the interference fringes 116 to the image processing unit 115.

[0031] The image processing unit 115 detects distortion of the interference fringes 116 in each of the two images, and based on the detected distortion, detects the length and depth of microcracks occurring in the glass panel. Then, by comparing the detection results with predetermined thresholds a, b, c, and d, it is determined whether the glass panel is susceptible to cracking.

[0032] Threshold a is a threshold related to the length of microcracks and is set to, for example, 100 μm. Threshold b is a threshold related to the depth of microcracks and is set to, for example, 5 μm. Threshold c is a threshold related to the change in length of microcracks due to pressure being applied to the glass panel of the solar panel 1 and is set to, for example, 10%. Threshold d is a threshold related to the number of microcracks and is set to, for example, 10.

[0033] For example, the image processing unit 115 determines that a microcrack detected based on the image of the interference fringes 116 has a length equal to or greater than a threshold value a, a depth equal to or greater than a threshold value b, and an extension rate of the length of the microcrack when the glass panel is not pressed and when it is pressed is equal to or greater than a threshold value c, as a microcrack that will develop into a crack; if the number of such microcracks is equal to or greater than a threshold value d, the glass panel is determined to be prone to cracking, and the solar panel 1 is sent to solar panel crushing equipment 12.

[0034] The above-described explanation of determining whether the glass panel is a breakable solar panel 1 is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. The thresholds a, b, c, and d are to be changed depending on the size of the solar panel 1, the aspect ratio (for example, within 1:10), and the composition ratio of the material.

[0035] On the other hand, solar panels 1 whose glass panels are judged to be less likely to break are sent to a solar panel performance inspection device 101, and thereafter recycled as in conventional cases, but reusable solar panels 2 are traded at a price according to their future useful life, etc., and recycled glass panels 4 are traded at a price according to the length, depth, elongation rate of length, and number of detected microcracks.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the optimum strain amount SL in the microcrack inspection device 11. In FIG.

[0037] In this determination method, a new solar panel was subjected to an accelerated degradation test equivalent to 30 years of outdoor use to reproduce the discarded solar panel 1. In the accelerated degradation test, the new solar panel was left in an environment of 120°C temperature, 100% humidity, and 202 kPa pressure for 30 hours (acceleration rate 1 year / hour). After the accelerated degradation test, both ends of the solar panel in the longitudinal direction were fixed, and the solar panel 1 was pressed in the bending direction until the glass panel broke. The amount of bending when the glass panel broke was defined as X1 [mm], and the amount of strain X was calculated according to the following formula: where L [mm] is the longitudinal length of the glass panel. Amount of strain X = X1 / L [%]

[0038] Figure 4 shows the change in strain X before and after the degradation test for glass samples No. 1 to No. 10 (brand new solar panels). The figure shows that while the strain X for brand new solar panels was 0.7 to 1.0%, the strain X for solar panels after the accelerated degradation test was reduced to 0.3 to 0.5%, with the minimum value being 0.3%.

[0039] 5 shows the results of the microcrack inspection accuracy (dashed line) and the glass panel crack occurrence rate (solid line) versus the strain amount X in a solar panel after a degradation test. It can be seen from the figure that the microcrack inspection accuracy increases in proportion to the strain amount X. Meanwhile, the glass panel crack occurrence rate is 0% when the strain amount X is approximately 0-0.2%, but increases with the strain amount X from 0.2% onward, and at a strain amount X of 0.5%, the glass panel crack occurrence rate is approximately 100%.

[0040] Considering that the safety factor of glass is generally set to 3 to 5 times, the strain amount X corresponding to a crack occurrence rate of 50% in a glass panel is 0.32%. Therefore, the optimum strain amount SL during microcrack inspection is determined to be a maximum of 0.1% or less.

[0041] For example, if the longitudinal length of the solar panel 1 is 1000 mm, the pressing portion 112 of the microcrack inspection device 11 presses the solar panel 1 until the bending amount X1 becomes 1 mm so that the strain amount X becomes 0.1%.

[0042] A detailed explanation of the case where the microcrack inspection device 11 uses the ultrasonic flaw detection method will be omitted, but as with the optical interference method, ultrasonic waves are irradiated before and after causing distortion in the solar panel 1, and the presence or absence of microcracks that could cause cracks in the glass panel can be detected based on the difference in the measurement values.

[0043] According to the solar panel recycling system 10 described above, the microcrack inspection device 11 determines whether or not the glass panel is prone to breaking, and solar panels 1 whose glass panels are prone to breaking are sent to the solar panel crushing facility 12 rather than to the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102. This makes it possible to improve the yield rate of the glass panels 4 that are dismantled and separated from discarded non-reusable solar panels 3, to improve recycling efficiency (lower costs), to reduce landfill volume, and to take measures against environmental impact and global warming by making effective use of resources.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a modified example of the solar panel recycling system 10. This modified example adds a microcrack inspection device 13 that inspects the glass panels 4 dismantled and separated in the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102. The microcrack inspection device 13 corresponds to the second microcrack inspection device of the present invention. The microcrack inspection device 13 is configured similarly to the microcrack inspection device 11, and is configured to detect the degree of deterioration of the glass panel 4 based on microcracks that have occurred in the glass panel 4, and select candidate reuse destinations for the glass panel 4 based on that degree of deterioration. According to this modified example, candidate reuse destinations for the glass panel 4 can be selected based on the degree of deterioration of the glass panel 4.

[0045] <Configuration example of solar panel recycling system 20 according to second embodiment of the present invention> Figure 7 shows a configuration example of solar panel recycling system 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Of the components of solar panel recycling system 20, those that are common to solar panel recycling system 10 (Figure 1) are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0046] The solar panel recycling system 20 is the solar panel recycling system 10 (FIG. 1) in which a glass panel cleaning device 21 is added in front of the microcrack inspection device 11.

[0047] The glass panel cleaning device 21 is based on the premise that the downstream microcrack inspection device 11 employs an optical interference method, and cleans and removes dirt from the surface of the solar panel 1. By providing the glass panel cleaning device 21, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of microcracks in the microcrack inspection device 11 due to dirt on the solar panel 1.

[0048] Even taking into account the time required to clean and remove dirt from the surface of the solar panel 1 in the glass panel cleaning device 21, the optical interference method can detect microcracks in a shorter time than the ultrasonic flaw detection method, which requires scanning the entire solar panel 1.

[0049] According to the solar panel recycling system 20, in addition to having the same effects as the solar panel recycling system 10, the accuracy of the microcrack inspection device 11 in determining whether the glass panel that makes up the solar panel 1 is prone to breaking can be improved.

[0050] Figure 8 shows a modified example of solar panel recycling system 20. Similar to the modified example of solar panel recycling system 10 (Figure 6), this modified example adds a microcrack inspection device 13 that inspects glass panels 4 dismantled and separated in solar panel dismantling and separation equipment 102. According to this modified example, it is possible to select candidate destinations for reuse of glass panels 4 depending on the degree of deterioration of the glass panels 4.

[0051] <Configuration example of solar panel recycling system 30 according to third embodiment of the present invention> Figure 9 shows a configuration example of solar panel recycling system 30 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Of the components of solar panel recycling system 30, those that are common to solar panel recycling system 20 (Figure 7) are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0052] The solar panel recycling system 30 is the solar panel recycling system 20 (FIG. 7) to which a yield rate DB (database) 31 and a machine learning device 32 have been added.

[0053] The yield rate DB 31 accumulates, as learning data, the yield rate of glass panels 4 (the rate at which glass panels 4 can be separated without breakage) at the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102. The machine learning device 32 determines optimal thresholds a, b, c, and d that can improve the yield rate, for each combination of the size, aspect ratio, and material composition rate of the solar panel 1, based on the learning data accumulated in the yield rate DB 31 and the current thresholds a, b, c, and d for microcracks detected by the microcrack inspection device 11.

[0054] 10 shows an example of the configuration of the machine learning device 32. The machine learning device 32 includes a control unit 321, a processing unit 322, and a communication unit 323.

[0055] The machine learning device 32 is realized by a general computer such as a personal computer, a server computer, etc. The computer includes a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a media drive, an output device such as a display, and a communication module such as an Ethernet (trademark) card or a Wi-Fi (trademark) adapter.

[0056] For example, the computer that constitutes the machine learning device 32 realizes a control unit 321 and a processing unit 322 by the processor executing a predetermined program stored in the memory.

[0057] The predetermined program executed by the processor may be stored in memory in advance, or may be downloaded from a predetermined server or the like via a removable medium (CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.) or a network such as the Internet, stored in storage, which is a non-transitory storage medium, and read out from the storage when needed. For this reason, it is preferable that the computer has an interface for reading data from removable media.

[0058] The machine learning device 32 may be implemented as one physical or logical computer, or as two or more physical or logical computers, which may be distributed over a network.

[0059] The control unit 321 controls the operations of the processing unit 322 and the communication unit 323. The processing unit 322 performs machine learning using the current thresholds a, b, c, and d and learning data as input, determines optimal thresholds a, b, c, and d, and outputs them to the communication unit 323.

[0060] The communication unit 323 is made up of a computer communication module, and acquires the current thresholds a, b, c, and d from the microcrack inspection device 11, acquires accumulated learning data from the yield rate DB 31, and outputs them to the processing unit 322. The communication unit 323 also outputs the optimal thresholds a, b, c, and d determined by the processing unit 322 to the microcrack inspection device 11.

[0061] In addition to the same effects as those of the solar panel recycling system 20, the solar panel recycling system 30 can improve the yield rate of glass panels 4 in the solar panel dismantling and separation facility 102.

[0062] 11 shows a modified example of solar panel recycling system 30. Similar to the modified example of solar panel recycling system 10 (FIG. 6), this modified example adds a microcrack inspection device 13 that inspects glass panels 4 dismantled and separated in solar panel dismantling and separation equipment 102. According to this modified example, it is possible to select candidate destinations for reuse of glass panels 4 depending on the degree of deterioration of the glass panels 4.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with or add to the configuration of another embodiment.

[0064] 1...Solar panel, 2...Reusable solar panel, 3...Non-reusable solar panel, 4...Glass panel, 5...Broken glass, 6...Silicon cell / metal, 7...Crushed glass, 8...Silicon cell / metal, 10...Solar panel recycling system, 11...Microcrack inspection device, 111...Fixing unit, 112...Pressing unit, 113...Lighting unit, 114...Imaging unit, 115...Image processing unit, 12...Solar panel crushing equipment, 13...Microcrack inspection device, 20...Solar panel recycling system, 21...Glass panel cleaning device, 30...Solar panel recycling system, 31...Yield rate DB, 32...Machine learning device, 321...Control unit, 322...Processing unit, 323...Communication unit, 100...Solar panel recycling system, 101...Solar panel performance inspection device, 102...Solar panel dismantling / separation equipment, 103...Silicon cell / metal remelting equipment, 104...Glass remelting equipment

Claims

1. A method for recycling a solar panel, comprising: a detection step of detecting microcracks generated in a glass panel that constitutes the solar panel, in each of a state where the discarded solar panel is pressed to cause distortion in the glass panel and a state where no distortion is caused in the glass panel; a determination step of determining the ease of cracking of the glass panel based on a change in the state of the microcracks before and after causing the distortion; and a selection step of selecting a recycling method for the solar panel based on the determination result of the ease of cracking of the glass panel.

2. The method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the detection step employs at least one of an optical interference method and an ultrasonic flaw detection method to detect the microcracks.

3. The method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 1, wherein the selection step includes: when it is determined in the determination step that the glass panel is easily cracked, selecting a recycling method of pulverizing and melting the solar panel.

4. The method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 1, wherein in the detection step, the solar panel is pressed so that a strain amount X obtained by the following formula becomes 0.1 [%], where the amount of bending of the glass panel is X1 and the length of the glass panel in the longitudinal direction is L: Strain amount X = X1 / L [%].

5. The method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 1, further including a cleaning step of cleaning the surface of the solar panel before the detection step.

6. The method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined in the determination step that the glass panel is not easily cracked, a performance inspection step is included, which evaluates the service life based on the power generation performance of the solar panel and selects, based on the service life, a recycling method of reusing the solar panel as a used product or a recycling method of disassembling the solar panel and reusing the glass panel as a used product.

7. A method for recycling a solar panel according to claim 6, comprising a machine learning step of creating a database with the yield rate of the glass panel when disassembling the solar panel and reusing the glass panel as a used product as learning data, performing machine learning with the learning data and a threshold value used for determining the fragility of the glass panel in the determination step as inputs, and determining the optimal threshold value capable of improving the yield rate.

8. A method for recycling a solar panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a reuse destination candidate selection step of detecting the degree of deterioration of the glass panel when disassembling the solar panel and reusing the glass panel as a used product, and selecting a candidate for the reuse destination of the glass panel according to the degree of deterioration.

9. A solar panel recycling system comprising: a first microcrack inspection device that detects microcracks generated in the glass panel in each of a state where the discarded solar panel is pressed to cause distortion in the glass panel constituting the solar panel and a state where no distortion is caused in the glass panel, and determines the fragility of the glass panel based on the change in the state of the microcracks before and after causing the distortion; a solar panel pulverizing facility that pulverizes the solar panel determined to be easily broken; a solar panel performance inspection device that evaluates the service life based on the power generation performance of the solar panel determined to be difficult to break; and a solar panel disassembly and separation facility that disassembles the solar panel with a service life equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and separates the glass panel.

10. A solar panel recycling system according to claim 9, comprising a glass remelting facility that melts at least one of the pulverized glass output from the solar panel pulverizing facility and the damaged glass output from the solar panel disassembly and separation facility.

11. A solar panel recycling system according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a second microcrack inspection device configured to detect a degree of deterioration of the glass panel output from the solar panel disassembly and separation facility and select candidates for a reuse destination of the glass panel according to the degree of deterioration.

Images