{"id":178591,"date":"2025-06-23T11:15:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T09:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/news\/pannelli-solari-in-plastica-riciclata-a-pisa-nasce-il-fotovoltaico-urbano-e-colorato-che-rispetta-lambiente\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T09:22:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T07:22:44","slug":"solar-panels-crafted-from-recycled-plastic-pisa-introduces-urban-and-colourful-photovoltaics-that-respect-the-environment","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/en\/news\/solar-panels-crafted-from-recycled-plastic-pisa-introduces-urban-and-colourful-photovoltaics-that-respect-the-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar panels crafted from recycled plastic: Pisa introduces urban and colourful photovoltaics that respect the environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-177314 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"901\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_3.jpg 901w, https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_3-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A new project from the University of Pisa is redefining solar energy: instead of using traditional silicon or glass panels, researchers have developed and tested an innovative technology that uses recycled plastic to create solar panels, offering a more sustainable way to harness electricity from the sun. This project focuses on <strong>luminescent solar concentrators<\/strong>: transparent and coloured sheets made of acrylic material (PMMA) obtained from regenerated plastic waste, capable of capturing sunlight and directing it towards small photovoltaic modules installed along the edges.<\/p>\n<p>This technology, designed to be integrated into <strong>glass panels, canopies, greenhouses, and transparent facades<\/strong>, combines high performance with reduced environmental impact. \u201cWe have demonstrated that it is possible to create efficient solar concentrators for photovoltaic panels using regenerated plastic instead of fossil-based raw materials,\u201d explains Professor <strong>Andrea Pucci<\/strong>, research coordinator. \u201cOur goal is to bring solar power into cities in a colourful and sustainable way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-177316 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"903\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_4.jpg 903w, https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_4-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/lab_chimica_4-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 903px) 100vw, 903px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For the first time, the study systematically compared the performance of panels made with virgin acrylic plastic with those obtained from chemical recycling processes. The results showed that, while maintaining the same optical and electrical performance, panels made from recycled plastic can reduce CO\u2082 emissions by up to 75%. Testing under both controlled laboratory conditions and real-world environments (on sun-exposed roofs and facades) has confirmed the material\u2019s high quality and long-term durability. A first application of this technology was realised in the photovoltaic shelter installed in Livorno in 2023, developed through a project of the University of Pisa funded by the Tuscany Region. However, synthetic acrylic sheets, not recycled ones, were used in this installation.<\/p>\n<p>The study was published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.rsc.org\/en\/content\/articlelanding\/2024\/lp\/d4lp00067f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">journal RSC Applied Polymers<\/a> and was <strong>selected by the Royal Society of Chemistry<\/strong> for inclusion in a collection dedicated to the <strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals<\/strong>. The research was conducted as part of LUCE, a PRIN project funded by the <strong>European Union \u2013 Next Generation EU, Mission 4 Component 1 CUP I53D23004190006<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>At the University of Pisa, the LUCE project involves Professor Pucci, <strong>Dr. Marco Carlotti<\/strong>, and young researchers <strong>Alberto Picchi and Hanna Pryshchepa<\/strong>, in collaboration with CNR-ICCOM in Florence and the University of Naples Federico II.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unipi is developing fluorescent solar concentrators from regenerated acrylic material, combining emission reduction, sustainability, and customised solar power for cities. The study, awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry, has been acknowledged as one of the best contributions to the UN goals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":177315,"menu_order":3,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"tag-notizie-persone":[1906],"tags_news":[205],"categorie":[159],"class_list":["post-178591","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-notizie-persone-andrea-pucci","tags_news-sostainability","categorie-unipinews-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Solar panels crafted from recycled plastic: Pisa introduces urban and colourful photovoltaics that respect the environment ~ UNIPI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unipi.it\/en\/news\/solar-panels-crafted-from-recycled-plastic-pisa-introduces-urban-and-colourful-photovoltaics-that-respect-the-environment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Solar panels crafted from recycled plastic: Pisa introduces urban and colourful photovoltaics that respect the environment ~ UNIPI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unipi is developing fluorescent solar concentrators from regenerated acrylic material, combining emission reduction, sustainability, and customised solar power for cities. 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