Managing supply chain for the end-of-life solar panels in Malaysia

• Main Author: Mohd Romli, Muliati
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2023
• Online Access: http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/27153/1/Managing%20supply%20chain%20for%20the%20end-of-life%20solar%20panels%20in%20Malaysia.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/27153/2/Managing%20supply%20chain%20for%20the%20end-of-life%20solar%20panels%20in%20Malaysia.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/27153/; https://plh.utem.edu.my/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=122846

Solar energy is one of the renewable energy sources that aims to convert solar energy into electricity. The usage of PV solar panel has rapidly increased in Malaysia as this country have a strategic geographical area and receives high solar irradiation throughout the year. In the upcoming 25–30 years, the globe could face up to 78 million tonnes of solar panel waste by 2050, this including waste from Asia. Currently, in Malaysia, no recycling facilities are available, and there is no preparation towards managing the first batch of solar waste. In terms of analysis, still a lack of studies discussing managing solar panel waste, specifically in Malaysia. This project determined the total volume and distribution of waste generated by used solar panels at the End-of-Life (EoL). Then, this report studied the potential recycling facility centres using the centre-of-gravity method to determine the midpoints. Besides, this project also presented the most appropriate sites for recycling centres that possess low complexity of the supply chain and the most negligible greenhouse gas emissions from transportation using the supply chain complexity method and the weighted sum method. This report focuses on the usage of PV panels at the Large Solar Scale (LSS) in Malaysia. 115 LSS farm data in Malaysia were collected for this study. Using the centre of gravity approach, the central point for the potential recycling centre was identified based on the current LSS farm location (longitude and latitude). The result of the supply chain complexity measurement shows alternative A, with a value of 1.937, having the lowest value for the supply chain complexity. Then the weighted sum calculation was used to re-check the result. The weight sum calculation shows alternative D, with a value of 0.010, was the lowest value indicating this alternative has the most inadequate greenhouse emissions. From the project, the study concluded alternative A with one recycling centre having the least supply chain complexity. Still, it poses high greenhouse emissions as it requires more travel distance from each LSS to the one recycling centre. On the other side, alternative D, with the 14 recycling centre, show minor greenhouse emission through transportation. This is due to the less distance from LSS to its state recycling centre. The initiative and preparation towards managing future solar panel waste are required. More studies focusing on the details process and the cost of the recycling centre were recommended for the future.