Circular Solar Trial

Posted on 4 Nov 2022
Updated on 4 Nov 2022
2-minute read

ISF and partners are finding ways to address the growing problem of solar equipment in landfill.

Australia has the highest household uptake of solar energy systems in the world, with more than 2.8 million small-scale installations across the country. It's estimated that a quarter of these are 10-20 years old, and many are due for replacement. The problem of what to do with used solar panels and other defunct solar equipment is a growing one, and as solar's popularity increases, so does its presence in landfill.

The Circular Solar Trial aims to address this problem by applying circular economy ideas to the PV solar industry, while at the same time looking to see what opportunities and benefits may come from this approach. Among its outcomes the trial will develop solar panel recycling and end-of-life solutions for the solar and lithium-ion battery economies, activate end-markets for recovered solar panel glass and Establish a metro and regional collection and logistics network.

The project is led by PV Industries – an Australian company specialising in recycling solar equipment – and involves a number of industry and university partners at its various stages. It is supported by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) through its Circular Solar Grants Program.

ISF produced a scoping study for the project in 2019, and staged a large-scale survey of the solar industry to help to identify solar panel recycling market challenges and opportunities.