Solar recycler flags certification gap, reuse market concerns

A recycling industry executive is raising questions about how solar panels get recycled and reused once they reach the end of their life. This is mostly industry news, but it touches on what happens to panels after they come off a roof or field.

The interview centers on a certification standard called R2V3 Appendix G, which sets rules for how solar recycling should be done. A January 2027 deadline is approaching, but the CEO of one recycling company says there's no real pressure for standalone solar recyclers to pursue it, since major utilities and installers aren't requiring it yet. A trade association committee has reportedly been working on a solar-specific standard instead. For a homeowner, this mainly means the recycling industry is still sorting out quality standards, so there's no single certification yet that guarantees how thoroughly a given recycler recovers materials like silver, copper, and silicon from old panels.

The other concern raised is about "reused" panels. According to the executive, some old panels marketed as being shipped overseas for reuse are actually being moved mainly to profit from their aluminum frames, not because they're safely reusable. He notes that in the US, a panel's UL safety rating (the mark showing it meets electrical safety standards) becomes invalid once it's been used, which limits how panels can legally be reconnected to the grid. If you're ever considering used solar panels, or wondering what happens to panels removed during a roof or system replacement, this suggests the "reuse" label isn't yet a reliable guarantee of quality or safety.