AGC Inc. succeeded in demonstrating the manufacture of float glass from used PV module cover glass as the raw material for the first time in Japan. 

The approximately 5 tons of cover glass used this time was supplied to AGC after being purified at a low-temperature pyrolysis demonstration experiment facility in Hokkaido owned by Tokuyama. As a result, it is expected that recycling of cover glass will be feasible even for manufacturing float glass, which has been considered technically challenging until now.

PV modules have a lifetime of 20 to 30 years, and it is expected that hundreds of thousands of tons will be discarded annually from the late 2030s. Among these, cover glass of solar panel accounts for about 60% of the total weight, raising concerns about significant environmental impact when disposed of in landfills as industrial waste. Cover glass contains components that enhance the transparency of glass, making recycling into float glass difficult. With the success of this demonstration, it is expected that float glass, which is produced in large quantities, will become a receptacle for the horizontal recycling of discarded cover glass. Promoting recycling will lead to reductions in the use of natural resources such as silica sand and soda ash, and cuts in greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing processes.