Wagga Wagga-based company Solar Professionals has been awarded $946,000 in funding under the NSW EPA Circular Solar Trials grants program to develop and commission a first-of-its-kind automated recycling facility that can recover all raw materials and components from ageing solar panels without cross contamination.
The plant, to be based in Wagga Wagga, will leverage new and existing technology pioneered by Anderson Services in collaboration with Deakin University.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that Australia will have one of the most significant accumulated PV waste streams in the world by 2030. It’s estimated that approximately 100,000 tonnes of PV panels will enter the waste stream by 2035 Australia-wide, including approximately 30,000 tonnes in NSW.
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Solar Professionals managing director Dan Kimber said the business was delighted to be part of the solution to a growing problem.
“As solar providers, we understand the importance of delivering solar circular economy solutions for decommissioned and unfunctional PV solar panels,” he said.
“It’s a huge problem across Australia and not one with an easy solution. We’d like to thank the NSW Government for investing in this project, which will deliver Australian designed, engineered and patented technology to convert solar waste into new products. By using resources sustainably, we’re providing for future generations, replacing raw materials with recycled products and reducing the demand for natural resources.”
Mr Kimber said Solar Professionals has partnered with Deakin University, Andersons Services, and Apex Greenhouses to work in collaboration to design, engineer, construct, and commission the Automated Recycling of Solar Panels (ARSON) facility, where solar panel components will be deconstructed without the cross-contamination of parts.
“The delaminated components can be used to make new cells or will be re-engineered for other industries like the manufacture of greenhouses. Apex Greenhouses currently imports up to 200,000sqm of glass per annum, which equates to approximately 100,000 solar panels. It’s a great win-win,” Mr Kimber said.
Currently, the dominant solar PV technology is silicon- based. While there are existing solar PV silicon-based recycling plants in operation, they are not fully automated, nor they can recover all raw materials and components properly without cross contamination.
As a part of the process silicon will be recovered from PV solar panels using ARSON technologies and sent to Deakin University for further research.
“Deakin University is excited to be the research and development partner in a collaboration designed to provide a sustainable solution for end of life PV panels,” Deakin Research industry engagement and commercialisation manager Andrew Rau said.
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“The university has a long and proud history of collaborating with industry to solve real world problems and deliver commercial outcomes. Sustainability and Circular Economy are a key focus across the School of Engineering and the Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM).”
Solar Professionals anticipates 10 regional jobs will be created for the manufacture of the ARSON equipment, as well as operations and maintenance in Wagga Wagga, plus 10-20 subcontractor roles within the next three years. Future construction of multiple ARSON facilities will see a further 25 roles created.
The outcomes of this project are aligned with the NSW Government Circular Economy Policy and the National Waste Strategy.
