REGULATION
Photovoltaic modules and its end-of-life regulation
The management and treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are governed by Decree No. 49/2014, “Attuazione della direttiva 2012/19/UE sui rifiuti di apparecchiature elettriche ed elettroniche (RAEE)” – most commonly “Decreto RAEE” – and by the previous Decree No. 152/2006 “Norme in materia ambientale” or more commonly “Testo unico ambientale” (“TUA”).
The management requirements of EEE and photovoltaic WEEE regulated by Decreto RAEE had already been partially introduced by IV and V Conto Energia (DM 5 may 2011 and DM 5 july 2012). The GSE, as a “Soggetto Attuatore”, now check the correct EEE and WEEE management by Responsible Person of incentivated photovoltaic plants.
Art. 40 of Decree No. 49/2014, the GSE has issued the “Istruzioni operative per la gestione e lo smaltimento dei pannelli fotovoltaici incentivati”, introducing other criteria for correct management of photovoltaic modules end-of-life incentivated.
With Decree No. 221/2015 (“Collegato Ambientale”), the MATM has established that, relative to photovoltaic modules placed on market by producers, the Collective Systems were to adopt the Financial Guarantee into a Trust with the same characteristics of GSE Technical Regulations.
Recently, Decree No. 118/2020 has instroduced for Responsible Person of incentivated plants in Conto Energia, the opportunity to avoid GSE deduction, paying directly an amount into Trust of Collective System recognized by Ministero della Transizione Ecologica.
In november 2021, art. 19 of Decree No. 152/2021 has established the equivalence between the amount of Financial Guarantee retained by GSE and the amount of Financial Guarantee that Responsibile Person must recognize to the Collective System chosen.
In August 2022, the GSE updated the Technical Rgulations for the management of the end of life photovoltaic modules, which defined the timing and the procedures for join the Trust of a Collective System and the amount to be paid sa guarantee (10€ for each module) for domestic and professional systems.