Global Solar Panel Recycling Market is considered a recovery method to separate shiny materials from solar panels at the end of their lifecycle or it cannot be usable anymore. It will consist of removing the pieces breaking them down and separating materials such as silica, aluminum, and other metals. The initial stage of solar panel recycling is collection where these panels are gathered from sectors such as residential areas, commercial attributes or manufacturing faults. Merging of the panels and then traveling to the recycling plants where all are sieved and sometimes disassembled. With the deconstruction, components are divided up into their units such as the tempered glass cover, silicon-based semiconductor cells, the metal frames, and the electrical circuits array. Every part is thus processed individually to minimize the waste from the process and create value. Glass from solar panels can be recycled and used in either the manufacturing of other solar panels or of more diverse glass products. The silicon that would be left after the division of the cells can be retrieved, reused to make new solar cells, or recycled for use in other industries. Similarly, assorted metals are extracted and are reusable at the manufacture of a manifold of goods. Solar panel recycling, possibly the most effective way to manage waste and preserve resources, decreases the negative ecological impacts of solar power. From an eco-perspective, it offers economic benefits, especially concerning the recovery of valuable materials as well as the reduction of the need for virgin resources in manufacturing. As the popularity of converting to solar energy keeps spreading continuously, recycling will become one of the major focuses pulling points to maintain the environmental friendliness of the sector.

Player Names

• CMA Recycling (Australia)
• First Solar (United States)
• Interco (United States)
• PV Cycle (Belgium)
• Reclaim PV Recycling (United States)
• Recycle PV Solar (United States)
• Reiling GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
• ReSOLVE Group (United States)
• Silcontel Ltd. (Israel)
• Solar Panels Recycling Cooperative (Spain)
• SunPower (United States)
• Tes-Amm (United States)
• Veolia (France)

Segment Analysis

1. By Type

• Crystalline Silicon
• Thin Film

2. By Process

• Thermal
• Mechanical
• Laser

3. By Material

• Glass
• Plastic
• Aluminum
• Silicon
• Others

Market Drivers

The government-mandated rules that compel the recycling of solar panels propel the market. As many states already had policies in place to pursue the proper disposal and recycling of photovoltaic (PV) modules to minimize pollution. Along with the sweeping expansion of solar energy production, the volume of solar panels being replaced due to their lifespan is also growing. Such a drifting scenario exerts a press on businesses to find reliable recycling options for the increasing quantity of eliminated panels. Solar panels recycling helps for the return of noble materials such as silicon, glass, metals as example silver and aluminum. Thus, this can help in saving resources and also gives a greater alternative from the newly manufactured materials – in line with sustainability targets. Continuous developments in recycling science help in enhancing the level of effectiveness and efficiency of solar energy recycling processes. Advancement in thermal treatment, mechanical separation and chemical recycling improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the recycling enterprise.

Market Trends

The growing number of decommissioned solar panels, recycling facilities specialized in electronic waste are in demand to recycle related sources. These companies make use of technologies and expertise beneficial to the environment to enhance the solar cells recycling process and develop high quality materials from recycled materials. The circular economy, a concept whereby materials are re-used and recycled to achieve the lowest waste and resource consumption rate, is currently one of the growing trends in the global scenario. There is the shift related to the solar industry towards manufacture of panels in a way that recyclability is considered so that the solar panels have a more sustainable lifespan. More and more recycled material is in demand with support from government for the incentives and subsidies of renewable energies recycling. This is generating economic opportunities in the solar panel recycling market. Organizations are just beginning to identify the magnet of new revenue sources by reclaiming costly commodes lost during decommissioning.

Market Challenges

Standardization of technologies and regulations is the most important problems in solar panel recycling However, in other industries recycling protocols are still quite advanced, whereas the solar industry is still young. Therefore, the process of recycling is still in ironing out the details. Solar panels consist of different materials, e.g., such as glass, aluminum and silicon, as well as rare substances such as cadmium and tellurium, that have been employed in their construction. Recently, the issue of proper dismantling and segregation of these materials has taken another dimension, according to the technical challenge it poses. Additionally, some compounds must be handled carefully to avoid hazards but this makes it more complicated. Currently, overall, the economics of solar panel recycling aren’t seen as appealing, at the moment it seems more of a drawback than an opportunity. The monetary cost of recycling far outweighs the value of recovered materials usually resulting in uneconomical recycling for many. Therefore, the absence of financial support for recycling infrastructure and technology development results in minimal investments in this sort of infrastructure.

Market Opportunities

A green transition towards a circular economy becomes more and more important. This means that products and materials are reused, recycled, or repurposed at the end of their life cycle. As recycling of solar panels is part of the plan to succeed in this aim by extracting valuables such as silicon, glass and metals from the used panels that can be reused either in another solar panel or in other applications. Solar panel materials are not thrown away waste. All are contained, for instance, silicon, aluminum, and glass. It is possible to recycle these materials and reuse in industries. It happens that the processing of these materials leads to a reduction of the raw material, a conservation of energy sources, and the reduction of the pollution and waste associated with getting the materials out of the Earth and manufacturing processes. Continuous advances in recycling technologies contribute to improvements in the process which become more economical. Use our automated writing assistance to quickly create content for your website, social media posts, email campaigns and more! The implementation of sophisticated technologies such as mechanical shredding, thermal treatment and chemical extraction makes it possible to acquire high-grade materials from solar panels contributing greatly to the profitability of operators of recycling plants.

Regulatory Factors

Many of jurisdictions have put in place the EPR programs which make the makers of the products accountable for the whole life cycle, including the recycling and the disposal. This leads to the fact that solar on panel manufacturers companies have to pay attention to recycling activity during designing and often all have to ensure financing and taking part in a recycling program. Within the European Union, there is an implementing guide for WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive targets are taken such as collection, recycling, and recovery of e-waste including solar panels. It determines the recommended way of managing the waste of electrical equipment and appliances to ensure their high level of environmental safety and to promote recycling.

Recent Industry Insights

• In November 14, 2022, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) along with United Renewable Energy (URE), the country’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and solar cells accompanied by San Fang Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., a well-established member of the Taiwanese technological film scourge, employed at decommissioning of photovoltaic (PV) modules, invented.
• In July 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) declared intentions to invest US$ 56.0 Mn, which has US$ 10.0 Mn from infrastructure law, on Solar manufacturing and recycling in the U.S., and to make them the innovators in this field by the year 2035 as well as to achieve net zero.
• In September 19, 2022, SOLAR CYCLE, a recycling technology company and one of the largest independent producers, Silicon Ranch Corporation, announced a collaboration to recycle end-of-life stage solar systems from Silicon Ranch installations using SOLARCYCLE’S advanced and high-recovery recycling platform. Only 5% of the value of solar panels becomes waste in SOLARCYCLE’s advanced module recycling process compared to other traditional recycling processes, while the rest is preserved and added back to the manufacturing supply cycle thereby creating more panels.

Competitive Landscape

The Global Solar Panel Recycling Market is highly competitive and fragmented with major key players such as Interco, PV Cycle, Reclaim PV Recycling, Recycle PV Solar, and Reiling GmbH & Co. KG. In this market context, the primary competitors stand against each other, using technology innovation factors, environmental sustainability practices, and the quality of recycled materials as the main resources. Leading companies that employ advanced recycling processes along with eco-friendly operations and exceptional quality performance, are on the United States map and are the distinctive preference for customers looking for practical, sustainable solutions for disposing of old solar panels.