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Güneş Panelleri Yakın Çekim

PV Upcycle for A Circular Economy

Research

PVREfaCE is reshaping the future of solar energy technologies through the principles of the circular economy.

Having set out in 2021 as Turkey's first photovoltaic (PV) module recycling research group under the TÜBİTAK 1001 program, our team is now taking this vision a step further.

Today, we are taking this vision to a strategic new level with our current project, "Upcycling Photovoltaic Panel Waste into High-Performance Energy Storage Materials within the Scope of Circular Economy", also supported by TÜBİTAK 1001- The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program.

The project is carried out in cooperation with expert academics at Ege University Solar Energy Institute. Our initiative also fosters a dynamic and young research environment, powered by the contributions of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.

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Researchers

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Prof. Dr. Melih Soner Çeliktaş 

Project Coordinator

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Ege University Solar Energy Institute

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soner.celiktas@ege.edu.tr

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Prof. Dr. Ceylan Zafer

Project Team Member

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Ege University Solar Energy Institute​

ceylan.zafer@ege.edu.tr

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Dr. Halide Diker

Project Team Member

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Ege University Solar Energy Institute

halide.diker@ege.edu.tr

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Grants

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Yasemin Ozliman Farımaz

PhD Student​

 

Ege University Solar Energy Institute

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Betül Aksoy

PhD Student

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Ege University Solar Energy Institute

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Toprak Efe Ayaz

Undergraduate - TUBITAK Star

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Yaşar University 

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Fikret Müge Alptekin

Post Doctoral​

Ege University Solar Energy Institute

Objective

The primary aim of this project is to upcycle silicon recovered from end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) modules, transforming this material into high-performance electrode (anode) materials for high-value-added energy storage systems.

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This approach simultaneously addresses two critical challenges: the looming global problem of PV panel waste, projected to peak by 2050, and the strategic scarcity of critical minerals required for the clean energy transition.

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We view this not as simple recycling, but as a key circular economy opportunity. Our goal is to move beyond basic reclamation and elevate a potential waste stream into a high-performance component for an advanced technology.

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