UNITED STATES SOLAR PANEL RECYCLING MARKET FORECAST 2023-2030

Recycling these used solar panels is imperative to maintain the sustainability of solar energy. The United States, an early adopter of solar power, had a cumulative installed solar capacity of 62.98 GW by the end of 2019, driven by declining costs and a growing emphasis on clean energy. In 2016, the country generated 6,500 tons of solar panel waste, a number expected to increase to 200,000 metric tons by 2030. Furthermore, the disposal of solar panels in the United States is regulated by federal laws like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state policies. 

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) introduced a PV recycling program in 2016 to support solar panel recycling. With early panels reaching the end of their life cycle and newer, more efficient models emerging, the volume of waste generated is anticipated to rise. The United States is also projected to have the second-largest amount of end-of-life solar panels globally by 2050, intersecting with the electronic recycling industry and contributing to electronic waste. As a result, these factors are set to bolster the solar panel recycling market growth in the United States during the forecasting period. 

The United States solar panel recycling market is segmented into type, process, and shelf life. The type segment includes silicon-based (c-Si), thin-film, and other types. Thin-film solar panels primarily consist of approximately 98% non-hazardous materials such as glass, polymer, and aluminum, with the remaining 2% composed of hazardous materials, including copper, zinc, semiconductor materials, and other elements. 

Furthermore, thin-film technology is relatively more complex compared to crystalline silicon solar panels. While crystalline silicon panels are anticipated to have an increasing glass content in the future, thin-film solar panels are expected to see a reduction in glass content due to the adoption of thinner and more durable glass materials. This shift highlights a rising proportion of compound semiconductors and other metals within thin-film panels.

Major players operating in the United States solar panel recycling market include Canadian Solar Inc, First Solar Inc, ECS Refining, Aurubis AG, etc.

First Solar Inc, headquartered in the United States, is a solar energy solutions provider as well as manufacturer of thin-film solar modules. The company designs, produces, and sells advanced solar modules, in addition to offering solar energy solutions. Moreover, it operates across the entire solar value chain, ranging from module production to system deployment & maintenance.