PV module end of life

PV module end of life is the point where a module is no longer considered fit for use, and no single definition works in every situation. Functional end of life is reached when a critical property, usually module power, drops below a chosen level; strictly it means no output or no electrical safety, but in practice a much higher threshold is used, often linked to warranty terms. Wear-out failures end a module's working life when a safety problem appears or power falls below a set level, typically between 80% and 70% of the initial rating. Economic end of life can come at any degradation stage, for example when electricity prices or contracts change or when replacing modules with more efficient ones becomes attractive. Service life prediction models gradual degradation driven by environmental and operational stressors; sudden events like hail or fire are left out of these models. Passing IEC 61215 type approval tests does not prove a module will last a given number of years, because those tests target early failures and product defects. At the end of the performance period, owners can refurbish and extend the system, extend the PPA, sell the system, or remove it and restore the site. Commercial recycling has shown that 84% to 90% of a module's weight can be recycled, and decommissioning plans may include money set aside for recycling or disposal.

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• sentence 1: support check: partial - Passages say no generally applicable definition exists and that EoL is context-dependent, but they don't define it as 'no longer fit for use'.
• sentence 8: support check: partial - The 84-90% by weight recycling figure is stated, but decommissioning plans are said to include financial mechanisms for recycling or disposal, not explicitly money set aside.
• sentence 1: review: partial - The passages say no definition of end of life applies in every situation, but they never define it as the point where a module is 'no longer considered fit for use'. -->