This week, PV Industries announced their Circular Solar Trial. The project brings together a collaborative and industry-led approach to develop solar panel recycling and end-of-life solutions for the solar and lithium-ion battery economies. This project has been funded under the NSW Environment Protection Authority's (EPA) Circular Solar grants program.
1. Project Funding
The EPA is supporting this project through its Circular Solar Grants Program with funding of $997,969.
2. Project Outcomes
This comprehensive trial project will deliver several key outcomes:
Novel Recycling Process
Develop a novel solar panel recycling process for use in NSW by PV Industries.
Collection Network
Establish a metro and regional collection and logistics network in partnership with local government and Greentech Sydney.
Glass End-Markets
Activate end-markets for recovered solar panel glass in partnership with University of New South Wales' School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and John Holland.
Reuse Opportunities
Enable future opportunities for solar panel reuse, in partnership with UNSW's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering.
Battery Safety
Improved procedures for safe handling and transport of lithium-ion batteries, in partnership with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Market Assessment
Assessment of the solar industry to identify solar panel recycling market challenges and opportunities, in partnership with University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, NSW Circular, Maoneng and Spark Renewables.
3. Project Team
PV Industries is the leading solar panel recycling and resource recovery company in Australia. They have brought together a strong project team that is uniquely placed to address challenges facing the industry, including: John Holland, the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
4. Project Partners
The team is supported by a strong network of project partners including: NSW Circular, the City of Newcastle, the Hunter Joint Organisation, the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, Maoneng, Spark Renewables and Greentech Sydney.
5. Project Timeline and Goals
The project, which commenced in early 2021, will improve safe handling and transport procedures, establish a collection and logistics network for urban and regional NSW, optimise solar panel recycling and processing techniques, develop new end-markets for recovered materials and enable future market opportunities for reuse.
6. CEO Statement
"Our team is excited to be working on this important initiative which will address a rapidly growing waste issue for NSW," says Timothy Dawson, CEO of PV Industries. "We have been working closely with the solar industry for a few years now and this project will support the industry as it continues to grow."
7. Project Impact
The project will continue to increase diversion of solar panel waste from landfill, stimulate economic activity, and demonstrate the business case for a safe and sustainable circular solar and battery economy in NSW.
8. Co-Founder Perspective
"The funding has allowed us to rapidly expand our capabilities and services available to industry in NSW and Australia," says James Petesic, Co-Founder of PV Industries.
9. Market Context
Research shows solar as an area of waste is only expected to grow in the coming years, with solar panels reaching end-of-life after 10 years; 88,000 small-scale solar installations in NSW are already over 10 years old; by 2035 around 30,000 tonnes of solar panels in NSW will need to be recycled or otherwise disposed of.
10. EPA Director Statement
"The EPA's Circular Solar Grants program is directly focused on finding solutions to the emerging solar panel waste stream," said Kristie Brown, Director of Circular Economy Programs, NSW EPA. "It's a program that supports the type of trials proposed by PV Industries – collaborative 'whole of supply chain' projects that provide innovative solutions to manage end-of-life solar panels and battery systems. It's all part of building the circular economy of the future in NSW."
11. Industry Survey
You can help support this project by taking part in the industry survey which will identify barriers and opportunities for a circular solar economy in NSW and Australia. The survey closed on 20 May 2022.
This program was made possible thanks to funding from the NSW EPA's Circular Solar grants program: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants/infrastructure-fund/circular-solar-trials
