US-based PV recycling firm Solarcycle has begun operations at its Cedartown recycling facility in Georgia, US.
The new facility is now processing thousands of solar panels per week and will continue ramping up to reach one million panels annually by the end of 2026. At full capacity, the facility is expected to be able to process up to 5GW of solar panels per year.
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According to the company, the 255,000-square-foot recycling facility will allow for 100% of landfill diversion and recover 96% of the value from silver, copper, aluminium, glass and other critical minerals within a solar panel.
The operational launch of the recycling facility comes at a time when utility-scale solar PV is expected to see 70GW of new capacity added in 2026 and 2027, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Last year alone, solar PV accounted for two-thirds of the electricity demand growth in the US, according to a recent report from the think tank Ember.
As more capacity comes online and older projects are repowered, the need for PV recycling facilities in the US becomes more necessary. Solarcycle added that the growth in solar deployments will increase the demand for end-of-life solutions.
Moreover, the Georgia solar PV recycling facility is located adjacent to a solar glass manufacturing plant that was unveiled in February 2024. Construction for that facility is on track to begin in mid-2026 and start production of glass in 2028.
Solarcycle said it has already secured more than 80% of the glass factory’s planned 5GW annual nameplate capacity, “reflecting strong demand for domestically manufactured solar materials”.
“Our recycling facility in Cedartown represents a step-change in how we’re delivering end-of-life infrastructure,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and co-founder of Solarcycle. “The next phase of our growth is all about bringing solar recycling to industrial scale and delivering winning economics for our customers so the industry can keep high volumes of critical materials in domestic supply chains as solar deployment continues to accelerate.”
The production launch of the recycling facility in Georgia is a step forward for Solarcycle, which has been securing solar glass and recycling supply agreements over the past couple of years. This includes module manufacturers Illuminate USA, Runergy, Heliene, Canadian Solar, Silfab and Qcells, amongst others.
Solar manufacturers are not the only companies signing agreements with Solarcycle, with also more downstream companies securing recycling agreements for damaged PV modules, such as was the case with renewables developer EDF Renewables in 2023 or more recently with utility giant Engie North America, which incorporated a “precycling provision” in power purchase agreements for a 375MW portfolio.
