Recycle PV Solar and Solaris Global, a warehousing and supply chain service, have partnered to provide recycling and repurposing services for decommissioned solar plants.

U.S. solar is expected to grow exponentially, with SEIA estimating around 140,000 solar panels installed daily. In a 2020 study, the Canadian Standards Association projected U.S. solar waste streams will accrue as much as 1.2 million metric tons (74.6 GW) by 2030. PV panel decommissioning is growing for a variety of reasons: aging systems, extreme weather damage, upgrading and tax policies.

“This ‘someday’ problem is already here and is being referred to as a ‘tsunami’ by some PV industry experts,” the companies stated in a press release.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Solaris to address the rapidly increasing growth of decommissioned PV panels we have been seeing,” said Sam Vanderhoof, CEO of RPVS. “Combining Solaris’ impressive logistics and solar supply chain capabilities with Recycle PV Solar’s understanding of the reuse and recycling markets, along with other projects we have been working on, for decommissioned PV panels is a real win-win for helping the solar industry keep PV sustainable and out of landfills.”

RVPS has relocated to Solaris’ facility in Reno, Nevada. Recycle PV Solar was founded in 2018 to address the rapid growth of PV waste resulting from the exponential growth of PV in the United States.

“Solaris, too, has been seeing a significant growth in decommissioned PV panels over the last few years. We are excited to be working with Recycle PV Solar in this rapidly developing space,” said Neville Darlaston, executive VP of Solaris. “We see this as not only an area where Solaris can bring its logistics expertise to bear on this issue to provide cost-effective solutions for our clients but also an opportunity to extend our global commitment to sustainability.”

News item from Recycle PV Solar