Qcells will start its own solar panel recycling operation in Cartersville, Georgia, near its solar panel manufacturing facility. EcoRecycle by Qcells should have the ability to recycle 500,0000 solar panels annually — or about 250 MW.
EcoRecycle will first start at the Georgia facility, but Qcells has plans to expand the recycling effort across the country. The new vertical for Qcells will operate as a take-back service with low recycling fees.
“As the U.S. moves toward a more sustainable and self-reliant solar industry, EcoRecycle by Qcells is committed to pioneering innovative recycling technologies that not only reduce environmental impact, but also create economic opportunities,” said Jung-Kwon Hong, Head of Qcells Manufacturing Group. “Through strategic investments and cutting-edge solutions, we are positioning ourselves as a leader in the circular economy, ensuring that solar energy remains a truly renewable and responsible power source.”
Qcells’ Cartersville site will soon host every step of the silicon solar panel supply chain — ingots, wafers, cells and panels. Once the recycling effort gets started nearby at a separate facility, Qcells will be the only silicon solar panel manufacturer to have a fully circular solar setup. Only First Solar, a thin-film solar panel company in Ohio, also supports manufacturing and recycling.
“With this new business, Qcells will emerge as the first-ever crystalline silicon solar panel producer to possess a full value chain, conducting both solar panel manufacturing and recycling on U.S. soil,” said Kelly Weger, Senior Director of Sustainability at Qcells. “Effectively managing solar waste is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the clean energy sector. We’re proud to be leading the charge with the launch of EcoRecycle by Qcells.”
Story updated to clarify solar panel recycling will happen in Cartersville but not at the same facility as the panel manufacturing operations.
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