SOPHIA addresses to the problem of photovoltaic panels End of Life, their management and the society awareness on electronic waste management. The project will implement several Advanced Digital Solutions, involving all actors in the value chain, in order to increase the reuse and repair rates of these products. For the evaluation of the State-of-Health and dismantling of PV panels, a robotic prototype based on IA model will be created. In cases where it is not possible to repair and reuse the PV panels , they will recycled by shredding sorting, and specific upcycling processes for each byproduct.", Because of their traceability and information available in the Digital Product Passport (DPP), the panels will be easily identifiable, hence the PV panels will be recycled by type and composition, increasing the quality of the obtained secondary raw materials, thus reducing waste generation. The repaired panels and secondary raw materials will be put up for sale on a marketplace, with the aim that all these products that are marketed have traceability provided by the DPP. Furthermore, in order to achieve goals and high circularity for the panels in the long term, an eco-designed and easy dismantling solar panel will be developed as prototype. It is expected that in the long term, the project will help to increase social and corporate awareness about the panel production impact, aiming towards a full ecodesign practise fully sustainable PV industry. Additionally, SOPHIA will contribute to the generation of new markets around the photovoltaic sector across Europe.

The SOPHIA project has implemented Advanced Digital Solutions across the full value chain of end-of-life solar panels, increasing their reuse, repair, and recycling rates. A prototype for fast State-of-Health (SoH) evaluation was developed, enabling rapid assessment of efficiency, black areas, and damages. Panels with remaining efficiency above 80% were repaired using robot-assisted equipment and high-performance dielectric varnish, while non-repairable panels were recycled through innovative technologies that maximized the recovery of glass, silicon, metals, and plastics. An in-line antimony quantification system was integrated to enhance glass valorization, and a new eco-designed, easy-to-dismantle solar panel with debonding on-demand adhesives was developed to ensure long-term circularity.