In a move poised to revolutionize the end-of-life cycle for solar panels, Texas-based company SOLARCYCLE is cleaning up its act by turning old panels into new ones. With over 90% of a solar panel being glass and metals, SOLARCYCLE CEO Suvi Sharma explained in an interview with KXAN, "We recycle through a combination of different equipment and processes that we’ve developed in-house at Solarcycle." Thanks to these processes, more than 95% of the value of a solar panel can reportedly be salvaged.
Already dominating Texas, SOLARCYCLE is expanding by establishing a new factory in Georgia dedicated to repurposing recycled glass into new solar glass - creating a full circle in sustainability, according to Sharma's words to KXAN. Meanwhile, hoping to reduce the number of panels ending up in landfills, which stands at roughly a 10 to 15% recycling rate, the company has also inked a deal with EDF Renewables. This partnership is aiming for a closed-loop supply chain, reusing materials for next-gen solar components, as reported by EE Power.
Recycling solar panels isn't a simple task due to their unique construction. However, SOLARCYCLE's technique separates aluminum and glass from the more tenacious materials through advanced recycling machines, followed by shredding the rest and then meticulously sifting for valuable metals, as documented by EE Power. With this technology, they hope to ramp up operations to handle a million panels annually by the end of 2023 and millions more upon the 2024 unveiling of a new advanced recycling factory.
Aside from operational expansions, SOLARCYCLE is also pioneering new refinement processes to improve recovery and separation of materials, with the aid of a $1.5 million Department of Energy grant. These processes are expected to reduce the reliance on mining operations by leveraging recycled panels, as seen by modeling from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory - indicating the potential to fulfill up to 30% of the demand for key elements like silicon after 2040. SOLARCYCLE's strides in establishing a more resilient supply chain were also echoed by the company's partnerships with industry giants like AES Corporation and Ørsted, which could shape the future landscape of solar sustainability, backed by reports from EE Power.
