The Australian building materials company Boral is used in concrete, which comes from the glass thrown away solar collectors for a large transport project in Melbourne.
Sand is a crucial material for the construction and construction industry. According to the UNEP, 50 billion tons of sand are used every year, and it is the second most common resource of water. Although there is a lot of it, it is not the entire sand of the same and the sand that is suitable for construction and other purposes is used faster than it can be filled back in some places by natural processes. Sand breakdown can also damage ecosystems.
“So far we have seen sand as a common material. It is time to re-evaluate and recognize sand as a strategic material, ”said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan from UNEP in 2022.
Sand is also used to produce glass, and the glass face on a solar panel usually makes up most of its weight. In view of its nature, this glass can be crushed to produce high quality sand.
Boral will drive this sand ahead in a top-class project-Melbourne’s North East Link; This contains 6.5 km tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen. The Victorian government says that it will enable trips up to 35 minutes faster between the Ring Road and the East Autobahn.
Boral moved into the Glassand of Elecsome, a solar panel resource recovery and “upcycling” company. The glass was crushed and processed in Elecsome’s Facility in Victoria and then mixed with up to 50 percent natural sand.
The evaluation of the plastic properties of the concrete (before it is processed and is still practicable) and hardened real estate tests for compliance with the relevant standards were carried out by Boral, which states that excellent results have been attributed to date.
“We are pleased to manage the development of concrete mixes that contain solar glass sand, an innovative new product that is used in history in the largest project by Victoria,” said Dr. Ali Nezhad, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Boral. “The success of this sustainable concrete mix in a commercial project offers an effective way to recycling solar modules in life and continues to contribute to the sustainability of the construction and construction industry.”
More about Elecsome
Elecsome was launched in 2015 and is supported by the OJAS Group, which delivers customer-specific cables for solar energy, wind power, mining, supply companies, transport and construction sectors.
Elecsome claims to have the first solar panel in Australia in Kilmany “Upcycling” plant in which solar modules were rejected in (some) higher products. The system has a handling of 5 tons per hour. That is around 250 panels and hours or 1 million panels per year. The Kilmany facility has been in operation since 2023.
The company has also developed a concrete product in front of the mix that contains solar glass foot, which replaces part of the aggregate called Solarcrete.
I could not see pricing and there are only “pre -order options”, so it may not yet be ready for the main time.
Elecsome’s resource recovery activities go beyond glass. As soon as the panels arrive in the processing system, depending on the panel type and condition for reuse (where not clear), recycling or upcycling, they will be categorized. Apart from the glass recovery and processing:
- The silicon cells are processed to provide a silicon of PV degree.
- Heads are reused in electrical appliances.
- Silver and copper are restored as a raw material for other industries for use.
- Aluminum frames are used for doses (or for the creation of more solar panel frames).
- Plastic and polymers appear established recycled channels.
While solar panel in Australia is waste in Australia and is still low, compared to the other producing Australians compared to the other waste; It is waste we could do without. It is easy to see that modules are redirected by landfills. However, the solar panel recycling business is a difficult appearance.
The title “Freakin” in the title of this article is an allusion to an old YouTube video that promotes a controversial project in the USA, with the aim of integrating solar modules in road surfaces.
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