Photovoltaic (PV) Recycling | Containerized PV module recycling plant deployable at remote solar power sites

The remote site problem

China's first wave of large-scale PV installations is reaching retirement. By the end of 2030, cumulative retired PV module capacity is projected at 30 GW, about 2.16 million tons. If properly dismantled and recycled, this represents significant recoverable material.

In practice, PV plants are often in remote deserts and areas. Glass, aluminum frames, and silicon all have value, but transporting bulky modules to fixed recycling bases is expensive. Dismantling and separating glass, aluminum, silicon, and silver at low energy, low cost, and high purity is the industry's core challenge.

YC Solution (意诚智造) addresses this by putting the recycling plant in containers and moving it to the remote site.

Two containers, a mobile factory

YC Solution's mobile containerized module recycling system integrates the full production line into two container modules about 35 meters long. The system can be transported directly to a PV plant site and deployed on site.

Retired modules are dismantled on site into aluminum frames, glass, copper, and silicon at high purity, then transported in concentrated form. Material weight drops to about 60% of the original module, cutting transport cost by 30%. The system is the first domestic mobile system with 10,000-ton-class processing capability. It has moved from demonstration to commercial deployment.

Fluorine-free green separation

The hardest part of PV module recycling is the fluorine-containing backsheet and EVA film. Conventional pyrolysis produces fluorine-containing exhaust gas, corrodes equipment, and pollutes the environment.

YC Solution's process:

Physical separation of the fluorine-containing backsheet using an in-house high-precision cutting system (0.05 mm precision), preventing fluorine-containing material from entering downstream pyrolysis.
Low-temperature pyrolysis to remove film.
Result: 98% recovery rate, 98% recovered material purity, aluminum frame and glass purity over 99%.

YC Solution also offers four configurable dismantling routes (mechanical + mechanical, mechanical + pyrolysis, pure mechanical, pure pyrolysis) matched to module condition, environmental requirements, and target output. The system is compatible with single-glass, dual-glass, and full-size modules, reducing manual adjustment from module variation.

From demonstration to central SOE order

Fixed single-glass module dismantling demonstration line: Industry-first module recycling line with fluorine-containing backsheet stripping equipment, moving the in-house environmentally friendly backsheet stripping technology from laboratory to industrial scale. Core is a 0.05 mm precision cutting system — about the diameter of a human hair. AI vision assists edge identification and stripping depth control, removing the backsheet without damaging the glass substrate. After fine dismantling, crushing, screening, and physical sorting, recovery rate reaches 98% and recovered material purity reaches 98%.
10,000-ton containerized module recycling demonstration line: The full system fits into container modules and can be transported directly to PV plant sites. The line applies the industry's first green harmless single/dual-glass module glass separation technology, using precise temperature control and mechanical force to separate glass from other materials. Final aluminum frame and glass purity exceeds 99%.
CECEP Solar tender win: In a public tender by China Energy Conservation Solar Technology, YC Solution's containerized single/dual-glass module recycling and dismantling equipment won the bid and will enter operation at a large northwest PV plant site. CECEP is a leading central SOE in new energy. Its selection criteria for equipment technical maturity, stability, and environmental performance are strict. Based on the same system, aluminum frame and glass purity both exceed 99%99%, achieving high-value circular recovery. Glass, aluminum, copper, and silicon/silver are converted at each step into sellable, reusable high-quality feedstock.

About the exhibitor

YC Solution was founded in 2024. The company has been certified as a Jiangsu high-tech enterprise, and won first prize in the 2025 BRICS Industrial Innovation Contest. The company focuses on PV module recycling and reuse, providing integrated PV module recycling solutions for PV plants and module manufacturers.

Booth: C1F01

At-a-glance:

At-a-glance:YC Solution | Photovoltaic (PV) Recycling | Containerized PV module recycling plant deployable at remote solar sites

YC Solution: Containerized PV Module Recycling for Remote Solar Power Sites