What should I do when my system reaches the end of its life?

Australia's commitment to renewable energy has led to a significant adoption of solar panels, inverters, batteries, and electric vehicle (EV) chargers. To date, over 3.5 million homes and businesses have installed solar, and we lead the world in solar power per capita. 

This issue we face now is that the systems installed at the start of this boom are starting to reach the end of their useful lives. It's estimated that by 2035, 100,000 tonnes of solar panels will enter Australia's waste stream. This has the potential to create a hazardous waste management issue, as materials in solar panels can leach into soil and groundwater, causing environmental contamination. 

Can solar panels, inverters, and batteries be recycled? 

The great news is, yes - these items contain many materials that can be recovered and recycled: 

• Solar panels are up to 95% recyclable, and many high-value materials, such as silicon, aluminium, and silver, can be recovered from them. 
  
• Inverters and battery cells contain materials that can be reused repeatedly once recovered. 

The issue is that Australia lacks dedicated processing facilities for panels, inverters, and batteries, and those that exist can only recycle and reclaim a small percentage of the materials. For example, we can only recycle 17% of each solar panel right now, as the remaining materials cannot be reclaimed here. 

Promisingly, a national approach is being developed to better manage PV products in collaboration with other state and territory governments, as well as businesses and industry stakeholders.

How can I recycle or responsibly dispose of my system? 

For information about recycling or responsibly disposing of your system, you should first contact the hardware manufacturer. Some manufacturers have dedicated programs and can help you with this, although in many cases, you’ll have to return the system to them at your own cost. 

If, however, the hardware manufacturer doesn’t support recycling or responsible disposal, it’s your responsibility to do this in accordance with local council regulations. Although each council is different, in general, you can expect to pay between $10 to $20 to recycle each solar panel, plus any freight or removal fees.

We're committed to working with our customers and partners to solve this problem. If you have any questions, get in touch at support@upowr.com.au.