Australia has launched a National Solar Panel Recycling Pilot, with plans to invest AUD 24.7 million in it over 3 years
The pilot will examine barriers such as high transport costs, especially in regional areas, while helping recover valuable materials like copper and aluminum
It will enable testing of suitable solutions for recycling solar panels to support a future national stewardship scheme
Australia plans to invest AUD 24.7 million over the next 3 years to support a National Solar Panel Recycling Pilot under an approach to market (ATM) call. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is now seeking an administrator for the same.
The initiative aims to address the growing number of rooftop solar panels reaching the end of their life. The pilot will test recycling solutions and help design a future nationwide recycling and product stewardship scheme for solar panels.
An administrator selected through this call will need to set up about 100 collection sites across Australia to test practical ways to collect, transport, and recycle end-of-life solar panels, and recycle up to 250,000 panels from households, businesses, and solar farms.
It will contract suitable collection and recycling service providers through competitive procurement processes and pay for their services. It will collect, verify, and report data, alongside developing a data monitoring and reporting system.
The program will also study key challenges, including the high cost of transporting panels, particularly from regional and remote areas.
Currently, only 17% of end-of-life solar panels are recycled in the country, but improving the processes and logistics is expected to unlock up to AUD 7.3 billion in value (see Australia To Invest AUD 24.7 Million In Solar Panel Recycling Pilot).
Australia’s Smart Energy Council believes the country could reuse around 1/3rd of the end-of-life panels, which could contribute up to 24 GW of energy by 2040 (see Australia’s Solar Panel Waste Could Unlock 24 GW By 2040).
“This pilot is an important first step toward improving solar panel recycling in Australia. While it won’t cover the cost of decommissioning or purchasing solar panels, it will help test and refine recycling processes,” stated DCCEEW. It adds that the pilot will help reduce waste and recover materials like copper and aluminum.
DCCEEW launched the tender on March 26, 2026, with the last date being April 24, 2026. Details are available on the Australian Government’s tender website.
