The Australian Government will pilot a national solar panel recycling program to reduce landfill, increase availability of valuable minerals and help drive the transformation to cleaner and cheaper energy.
The government will invest $24.7 million over three years to deliver a national pilot for recycling solar panels and establish up to 100 pilot collection sites nationwide.
The need for this program is highlighted in a report from the Productivity Commission into circularity in Australia’s economy, which specifically recommends the establishment of a solar panel recycling scheme.
Related article: New solar recycling process helps recover valuable silver
The report found there was scope to boost Australia’s circular economy through better coordination, regulatory design and innovation—especially for high-value, high-risk waste streams like solar panels.
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar uptake, with more than one in three Australian homes now having solar panels installed.
Only 17% of solar panels are currently recycled, and increasing this could unlock up to $7.3 billion in benefits through reduced waste and reuse of materials.
Those panels contain valuable material and strategic minerals that can support the renewable energy transition, such as copper, silver and aluminium.
Related article: Report: Better solar recycling needed to deal with PV waste
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said, “Aussie households have embraced cleaner, cheaper solar energy, with one in three of us now benefitting from solar panels on our roofs.
“This pilot is an important step in ensuring we get the most out of our energy transition. Not only do solar panels create renewable energy—now they’ll be renewable themselves.
“By turning old solar panels into valuable resources, this scheme will create more local jobs, and power a future made in Australia, enticing greater investment in our booming solar industry.”
