Australia launches first research hub to recycle solar panels at scale

Australia has launched its first dedicated national research hub focused on large-scale solar panel recycling, marking a major step toward building a circular economy for renewable energy infrastructure. The new Australian Research Council (ARC) Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability has been established at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) with A$5 million in funding through the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Program.

The initiative responds to a rapidly growing waste challenge, as Australia is expected to generate around 100,000 tonnes of solar photovoltaic (PV) waste annually by 2030, with millions of solar installations reaching end-of-life over the next decade. The hub aims to recover valuable materials such as glass, silicon, silver, and copper, reducing landfill dependence and strengthening domestic supply chains for clean energy technologies.

Researchers will focus on improving material recovery processes, designing better separation technologies, and developing future solar panels that are easier to recycle. The project also brings together engineers, scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to improve the full solar value chain, ensuring that solar deployment remains sustainable from installation to disposal.

Officials said the hub supports Australia’s broader net-zero ambitions by ensuring that renewable technologies themselves remain environmentally sustainable. Beyond waste reduction, the project is expected to create jobs, improve resource security, and help shape future policy frameworks for solar panel recycling and product stewardship across the country.

Solar-panel end-of-life management is one of the sustainability challenges early-scale solar deployers are hitting first, and how it gets solved shapes global circularity rules for the sector. Our circular-economy and energy-transition teams help solar developers, IPPs and manufacturers evaluate panel-EPR exposure and end-of-life strategy.