Reclaim PV Recycling and the Circular PV Alliance (CPVA) have signed a milestone MOU to drive the reuse and resale of solar panels and enhance the solar energy circular economy.

Both organisations strongly believe in the mantra of ‘Repair, Reuse and Recycle’ and that solar panels should be tested for potential safe reuse rather than going straight to recycling.

“As there is no legislation in place in Australia to govern the reuse of panels, we believe this agreement is the first step in establishing a second-hand PV market in Australia with the appropriate certification to keep the industry to a high standard when it comes to the testing and verification of panels for reuse,” Reclaim PV director Clive Fleming says.

CPVA co-founder, Megan Jones, says that the solar energy circular economy is largely in its infancy: “An industry-led approach to facilitate the transition to a circular economy is one of the core tenets of CPVA and is the basis for this principles-based MOU with Reclaim PV which we hope will set the pathway for industry to get on board.”

In 2021 both Reclaim PV and CPVA (with PV Lab) undertook separate used solar panel testing projects in response to the increasing prevalence of functional solar panels being dumped at waste stations.

Clive adds that Reclaim PV has already been incorporating a series of performance and safety evaluation tests across our Australian solar panel recycling sites with success: “For example, recent figures from the testing of around 1,450 solar panels at the Rockhampton Council collection site, has revealed that more than 31% could be considered for reuse instead of going through the recycling process.”

To avoid the dumping of panels overseas, tested and certified solar panels that are fit for reuse will be made available for supply to Australian domestic consumers and installers.

CPVA and Reclaim PV will combine their collective skills and experience garnered through each organisation’s individual efforts to date, to play an integral role in identifying and developing best practice tests and reuse standards through cooperative knowledge sharing. For example, Reclaim PV already has testing procedures in place and arrangements with charities such as SolarBuddy and commercial trader Solar Shift to provide low-cost reused panels to communities that are living in energy poverty.