Solar recycling facility opens in New Jersey

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Commercial Solar Panel Recycling opened a solar panel processing facility and company headquarters in New Jersey.

Commercial Solar Panel Recycling said its Research, Development and Demonstration permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was the first permit of its kind specific to solar recycling.

The company recycles

  • Monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels
  • String inverters and micro inverters
  • Batteries
  • Mounting systems and racks
  • Optimizers, and
  • Wire, cables, chases and other components.

Commercial Solar Panel Recycling reports that it provides GPS-enabled downstream tracking to ensure visibility throughout the panels’ end-of-life cycle. The company provides other decommissioning services, such as electrical system disconnecting and dismantling, and packing, shipping and logistics.

Along with the Phillipsburg facility, Commercial Solar Panel Recycling also has operational centers in Canajoharie, New York and Atwater, Calif. The company provides nationwide service, including transportation, on-site packing, and advanced processing of used or early loss solar modules.

With many PV systems now starting to reach their end of life, there is growing concern about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer useful. Without an increase in solar recycling, the U.S. is expected to have the second largest number of decommissioned panels in the world, with as many as an estimated 10 million total tons of panels, according to the EPA. Additionally, a report by the EPA and IRENA forecasted that by 2030 there will be 1 million tons of solar panels reaching end of life and 20 years later it will balloon to 10 million tons.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), only a few states had policies requiring recycling or reuse of components at the time of decommissioning or end of life as of 2024. However, some states have enacted legislation related to waste characterization for solar panels to be recycled, while other states have varying requirements. Maine, for example, requires any recyclable solar components to be recycled by an authorized facility. Texas currently has a bill passed by the House of Representatives to require recycling for decommissioned solar and wind projects.

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