Six departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the State Administration for Financial Regulation, and the National Energy Administration recently jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Comprehensive Utilization of Photovoltaic Modules" (referred to as the "Opinions"), proposing specific measures from the aspects of green design, orderly scrapping, efficient dismantling, and full industry chain collaboration. Several experts stated in an interview with Shanghai Securities News that the "Opinions" have established a closed-loop management system of "green production, standardized retirement, and efficient utilization", promoting the photovoltaic industry to shift from "scale expansion" to "full chain low-carbon", and providing systematic institutional arrangements for coping with large-scale retirement of components, ensuring resource security, and environmental controllability. The phased objectives are clearly defined in the Opinion, with the goal of comprehensively improving the comprehensive utilization level of photovoltaic modules. The phased objectives are proposed as follows: by 2027, the green production level of photovoltaic modules will be further improved, the proportion of recycled materials used will be effectively increased, and the evaluation standards and inspection methods for module scrapping will be improved. Develop a batch of technical standards for green design and comprehensive utilization of photovoltaic modules, cultivate a group of backbone enterprises for comprehensive utilization of waste photovoltaic modules, and achieve a cumulative utilization of 250000 tons of photovoltaic modules. By 2030, the level of technology and equipment for comprehensive utilization of photovoltaic modules will be further improved, the ability for industrial innovation and development will be significantly enhanced, and the application scenarios and methods of comprehensive utilization products will continue to expand, forming a comprehensive utilization capability for waste photovoltaic modules that is closely coordinated upstream and downstream in the industrial chain, has reasonable production capacity layout, and can cope with large-scale retirement waves. Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with Shanghai Securities News: "Currently, the annual number of retired photovoltaic modules in China is rapidly increasing. The introduction of this policy will resolve potential environmental risks, create new economic growth points for the industry, and promote the photovoltaic industry to move towards a higher quality development stage after experiencing a price cycle." Data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association confirms the necessity of policy implementation: by 2025, China will begin to produce a large number of retired photovoltaic modules; After 2030, the amount of discarded photovoltaic modules will reach a peak of about 1.4 million tons; By 2040, the cumulative amount of waste will reach approximately 20 million tons. The reporter learned that photovoltaic modules contain various high recycling value materials such as silicon, silver, copper, aluminum, as well as harmful substances such as lead and fluorine. If not handled properly, these harmful substances will seep into the soil and water sources, causing serious pollution to the ecological environment; On the contrary, if standardized recycling and disposal can be achieved, these waste components will become valuable "urban minerals". The Opinion on Forcing the Upgrading of the Photovoltaic Recycling Industry provides a systematic deployment for the recycling and utilization of photovoltaic modules. In the green design phase, the "Opinions" encourage photovoltaic module manufacturers to use adhesive materials that are easy to disassemble and separate, explore non crosslinked structural adhesive film materials, and choose green raw materials such as fluorine free backboards and lead-free solder strips, creating conditions for efficient disassembly and utilization after scrapping. At the same time, support the production enterprises of photovoltaic glass, crystalline silicon materials, junction boxes and other components to strengthen cooperation with renewable resource utilization enterprises, and increase the proportion of recycled material usage. Regarding the critical step of scrapping determination, the Opinion clearly states to accelerate the research and development of technical standards for photovoltaic module scrapping evaluation, and encourages the application of unmanned aerial vehicle EL imaging detection, thermal imaging detection, artificial intelligence online monitoring and other methods to effectively identify the integrity of component functional structure and power attenuation. At the same time, guide photovoltaic module production enterprises, photovoltaic power stations, etc. to standardize the sale of waste modules, and support the construction of a waste photovoltaic module trading platform. The Opinion also regards technological breakthroughs as a key task, clearly proposing to accelerate the research and development of efficient dismantling technology for photovoltaic modules, develop adaptive dismantling systems for intelligent recognition of multi size and multi type components, develop mobile and modular quick dismantling technology equipment, and promote the "ready to dismantle" model. In terms of separation technology, research will be conducted on the bonding mechanism of photovoltaic module adhesive film, enriching and improving the theoretical system of low-cost dissociation technology for adhesive film, and overcoming the physical and chemical methods as well as new separation processes for crystalline silicon single glass and double glass modules. In the component purification process, the "Opinions" encourage the extraction of silver materials from the metal gate lines of crystalline silicon solar cells, explore non acidic or weakly acidic solvent extraction processes, and study the recycling technology of reagents in the acid based silver extraction process. At the same time, it is encouraged to extract metal elements such as copper, lead, and tin from solder strips and busbars, and to use silicon elements in photovoltaic modules in a graded and high-quality manner. Focusing on key application industries such as non-ferrous metals, building materials, and chemicals, actively expanding the application scale of comprehensive utilization products. Chen Li, Chief Economist and Research Institute Director of Chuancai Securities, stated in an interview with Shanghai Securities News that the above measures will force the upgrading of the photovoltaic recycling industry. Green design, easy disassembly, and high regeneration have become industry standards, and material systems and manufacturing processes will also be optimized and upgraded. Currently, the photovoltaic recycling industry still faces problems such as insufficient economic viability and chaotic "small workshops" in promoting the coordinated development of the entire industry chain through comprehensive utilization. The profits from component recycling cannot fully cover transportation, dismantling, and recycling costs, and illegal dismantling behavior further distorts market order. In response to the above pain points, the Opinion requires efforts to promote the coordinated development of the entire industry chain for the comprehensive utilization of photovoltaic modules. Promote the establishment of long-term and stable cooperative relationships between photovoltaic module production enterprises, photovoltaic power stations, and comprehensive utilization enterprises that generate scrapped components; Focusing on the gathering areas of photovoltaic power stations in Northwest, East, and North China, we will promote the large-scale development of the photovoltaic module comprehensive utilization industry, encourage local comprehensive utilization, and reduce transportation costs. In terms of policy support, the Opinion clearly states the role of the national industry finance cooperation platform, guiding financial institutions to provide credit financing support for green technology transformation and comprehensive utilization projects of waste photovoltaic modules in the photovoltaic industry. At the same time, we will support advanced technologies such as dismantling of waste photovoltaic modules and recycling and purification of rare and precious metals to be included in the "National Catalogue of Green and Low Carbon Processes, Technologies, and Equipment for Industry and Information Technology". We will also accelerate the research and development of industry standards for the comprehensive utilization of waste photovoltaic modules, timely release a list of standardized enterprises, and cultivate a group of industry-leading backbone enterprises. Chen Li believes that the next decade will be a critical period for the development of the photovoltaic recycling industry. With the improvement of the policy system, the maturity of intelligent sorting and other technologies, and the implementation of responsibility mechanisms, the photovoltaic module recycling industry will undergo a strategic upgrade from "end of pipe treatment" to "full cycle recycling". Wang Peng believes that the "Opinions" will have a profound impact: in the short term, the quantified target of achieving a cumulative comprehensive utilization of 250000 tons by 2027 will directly drive the growth of orders in sub sectors such as dismantling equipment manufacturing and rare and precious metal recycling. Top recycling companies will gain more market share through standardized management lists; In the medium term, component manufacturing enterprises will accelerate the upgrading of green design, and the increase in the proportion of recycled materials will gradually reduce raw material costs. Photovoltaic power plants need to establish a standardized sales mechanism for retired components; In the long run, with the improvement of the domestic recycling system, China's photovoltaic industry will form a triple barrier of "technological leadership - scale advantage - circular economy", and hold the discourse power in the global green trade rules. (New Society)