The global solar panel recycling industry is entering 2027 with increasing investments in automated processing, high-purity silicon recovery, silver extraction and recycled solar-glass manufacturing. SOLARCYCLE, ROSI, First Solar, Reiling, 9-Tech, PV Industries, We Recycle Solar, SOLAR MATERIALS, Regain Energies and Jakson Engineers are developing different technologies and business models to capture opportunities from retired photovoltaic modules.
Solar panel recycling companies are competing to secure long-term contracts with solar manufacturers, utilities, project developers and asset owners. Their customer-winning strategies combine collection services, higher material recovery, recycling capacity, lower processing costs and agreements to sell recovered materials.
The ten companies below represent different levels of commercial maturity, from operating recycling plants to planned industrial projects.
Top 10 Solar Panel Recycling Companies: Capacity, Achievements and Customer Strategies
1. SOLARCYCLE: 5 GW Recycling Capacity and Solar-Glass Manufacturing
US-based SOLARCYCLE is expanding its recycling business through large-scale processing and plans for recycled solar-glass manufacturing.
Its 255,000-square-foot Cedartown, Georgia, recycling facility began operations in January 2026. The plant is designed for annual processing capacity of 5 GW, with a target of one million panels by the end of 2026.
SOLARCYCLE claims 96 percent material value recovery and complete landfill diversion. These figures represent company-reported performance.
Its customer strategy combines recycling services with future demand for recovered materials. An agreement with Illuminate USA supports its recycled-glass business, while a dedicated glass manufacturing facility is targeted for 2028.
The SOLARCYCLE facility announcement outlines its industrial expansion.
2. ROSI: €20 Million Financing and High-Purity Silicon Recovery
France-based ROSI specializes in recovering high-value silver and silicon from crystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules.
Its operating ROSI Alpes facility was selected by French solar recycling organization Soren to process retired modules.
In April 2026, ROSI announced financing exceeding €20 million to support expansion, including a proposed Spanish recycling facility with annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes.
ROSI’s customer acquisition strategy emphasizes the recovery of valuable materials that conventional mechanical recycling may leave in lower-value fractions.
Its business model targets solar manufacturers, recycling organizations and industrial buyers seeking recovered silicon and silver. The proposed Spanish capacity remains under development.
3. First Solar: 400,000 Tonnes Processed and Closed-Loop Recycling
First Solar operates one of the industry’s established manufacturer-led recycling programmes for cadmium-telluride thin-film solar modules.
The company began its recycling programme in 2005 and reports processing more than 400,000 tonnes of solar waste.
Its Chennai, India, recycling facility has reported annual capacity of 9,514 tonnes, alongside 3.3 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity.
First Solar reports recovery of more than 90 percent of module materials.
Its competitive advantage comes from integrating module manufacturing, collection and recycling. This enables the company to offer customers lifecycle services while recovering semiconductor materials for potential reuse in manufacturing.
4. Reiling: Expanding from Recycling into Plant Engineering
Germany-based Reiling operates photovoltaic recycling activities at its Münster facility, separating glass, aluminum and other recoverable materials.
In March 2026, Reiling established Convitrum GmbH with engineering partners to develop and supply recycling plant technology.
This expansion creates an additional business opportunity beyond processing retired modules.
Reiling’s customer strategy combines industrial waste-management experience, material recovery and recycling equipment engineering.
Its prospective customers include solar asset owners, waste-management companies and businesses investing in recycling infrastructure.
5. 9-Tech: 600 kg/Hour Advanced Recycling Technology
Italian company 9-Tech is developing mechanical, thermal and ultrasonic technologies to recover silicon and silver from crystalline-silicon solar modules.
Its 9PV-UP project at Meolo is designed to process approximately 600 kilograms per hour.
As of October 2026, the project was awaiting authorization, with construction targeted for the first half of 2027.
9-Tech’s competitive strategy emphasizes higher-value material recovery rather than relying primarily on glass and aluminum.
Commercial success will depend on demonstrating processing yields, recovered material purity and competitive operating costs once the planned facility becomes operational.
6. PV Industries: 6,000 Tonnes Annual Capacity in Australia
Australia-based PV Industries opened its Bankstown, New South Wales, recycling facility in October 2025.
The facility has reported processing capacity of up to 6,000 tonnes annually, supported by A$3.3 million in government funding.
Its Deframer and Deglasser technologies separate aluminum frames and glass. The company reports processing times below 90 seconds per panel and recovery of up to 90 percent by weight.
PV Industries targets solar installers, developers and asset owners requiring collection and recycling services.
Its customer strategy emphasizes automated processing, domestic recycling capacity and reducing transportation requirements for Australian solar waste.
7. We Recycle Solar: Collection, Testing and Second-Life Solar Panels
US-based We Recycle Solar operates in Yuma, Arizona, combining solar panel collection, testing, resale and recycling.
Its business model distinguishes reusable panels from damaged or end-of-life modules.
Panels that meet safety and performance requirements can enter second-life markets, while unsuitable modules undergo dismantling and material recovery.
Its customer strategy includes partnerships with installers, roofing companies and solar asset owners to secure recurring waste volumes.
Publicly available operating data remain limited, particularly on annual throughput, material recovery rates and processing economics.
8. SOLAR MATERIALS: 14,000 Tonnes of Annual Recycling Capacity
Germany-based SOLAR MATERIALS began operating an industrial recycling facility in 2025.
By December 2025, the company reported expanding its annual processing capacity to 14,000 tonnes.
Its modular recycling technology separates photovoltaic module components and targets recovery of glass, silicon and metals.
SOLAR MATERIALS competes through scalable processing infrastructure and technology designed for industrial deployment.
Its customer-winning strategy focuses on reliable recycling services for European solar manufacturers, installers and asset owners.
The 14,000-tonne figure represents reported capacity rather than independently verified annual throughput.
9. Regain Energies: 250 MW Solar Recycling Facility in India
India-based Regain Energies, located near Surat, Gujarat, is developing domestic photovoltaic recycling capabilities.
CEEW identifies approximately 1,800 tonnes of annual recycling capacity.
The company separately reports a 90,000-square-foot facility designed to process 250 MW, equivalent to approximately 500,000 solar modules annually.
Regain Energies also reports recycling more than 1,000 tonnes since April 2025.
Its mechanical, thermal and chemical processes target multiple recoverable materials.
Its customer strategy focuses on domestic collection, recycling services and partnerships with India’s expanding solar manufacturing and project-development ecosystem.
10. Jakson Engineers: 300 MW Automated Recycling Line
Jakson Engineers entered solar recycling technology through a partnership with Italian equipment manufacturer Ecoprogetti.
The automated recycling line has a specified annual capacity of 300 MW, equivalent to approximately 13,500 tonnes or 500,000 modules.
Its design processing rate exceeds 60 panels per hour.
Jakson’s customer strategy can build on its existing solar engineering and project relationships, while Ecoprogetti contributes specialized recycling equipment.
The Ecoprogetti equipment announcement provides technical specifications. Delivered equipment capacity should not be treated as verified commercial throughput.
Solar Panel Recycling Economics: Why Recovery Technology Matters
A CEEW financial assessment, published in November 2025, shows that Indian solar recycling remains economically challenging despite opportunities to recover aluminum, copper, silicon and silver.
| Financial metric | Mechanical recycling | Chemical recycling |
| Recurring cost per tonne | ₹40,132 | ₹49,067 |
| Material recovery revenue | ₹29,902 | ₹36,726 |
| Estimated loss per tonne | ₹10,230 | ₹12,341 |
| Cost per module | ₹883 | ₹1,079 |
CEEW estimates that mechanical recycling could become viable if module procurement costs fall below ₹375 per panel, compared with ₹330 for chemical recycling, assuming other conditions remain unchanged.
The study also found that free access to discarded modules could generate positive operating margins of approximately ₹17,000 per tonne for mechanical recycling and ₹15,000 for chemical recycling.
India Solar Recycling Opportunity: 11.2 Million Tonnes by 2047
India could generate approximately 11.2 million tonnes of cumulative solar module waste by 2047, according to CEEW.
The research estimates that recycled materials could potentially meet 60 percent of India’s silicon demand, 50 percent of aluminum demand, 44 percent of copper demand, 40 percent of glass demand and 38 percent of silver demand by 2047, under the study’s assumptions.
India’s E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, cover photovoltaic modules and require producer registration and prescribed waste storage and reporting. However, dedicated solar recycling obligations remain an important policy-development opportunity.
Solar Panel Recycling Market Outlook for 2027
The competitive advantage of solar recycling companies will depend on actual processing volumes, high-purity material recovery, signed customer contracts and recycling costs per tonne.
SOLARCYCLE and First Solar are pursuing manufacturing-linked recycling models. ROSI and 9-Tech emphasize high-value silicon and silver recovery. Reiling and SOLAR MATERIALS focus on industrial recycling infrastructure, while PV Industries and We Recycle Solar combine collection with processing services.
In India, Regain Energies and Jakson Engineers represent different approaches to developing domestic recycling capacity.
For solar manufacturers and project developers, the most attractive recycling partners will be those demonstrating consistent throughput, transparent recovery yields, reliable downstream buyers and competitive collection costs rather than announced capacity alone.
SHAFANA FAZAL
