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Solar panel waste makes EV batteries 99.9% efficient, retain 83.1% capacity | Silicon anodes give lithium-ion batteries better energy density and can improve battery performance, even over 200 charge-discharge cycles.

By repurposing silicon from solar cells, researchers were able to achieve sustainability and improved performance for lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) have successfully recycled silicon from solar panels and repurposed it to make superior-performance lithium-ion batteries. A team led by CUI Guanglei, a professor at QIBEBT and the director of the institute’s Applied Energy Technology Division, has now found a sustainable and low-cost solution: using it in lithium-ion batteries. “The sustainable sourcing of silicon from discarded solar panels mitigates both the economic and environmental impacts of photovoltaic waste,” said Dong Tiantian, a researcher at QIBEBT, who was involved in the work.

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