Australia’s House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has launched a new inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling, seeking public submissions to help shape national policy on managing the growing volume of end‑of‑life solar infrastructure.
As millions of solar panels reach the end of their operational life in the coming years, the volume of decommissioned panels and associated waste is projected to surge.
The Committee’s inquiry will assess how effectively Australia currently handles solar waste and the potential benefits of developing stronger recycling and reuse pathways.
Ensuring that renewable technologies are responsibly managed after their working life has become an increasingly urgent challenge.
The inquiry will investigate the scale of the current waste issue, future projections, and the comparative economic and environmental impacts of reuse, recycling, and landfill disposal.
It will also examine existing recycling technologies, logistical barriers, and opportunities to recover valuable materials such as silicon, glass, and rare metals from decommissioned panels.
Committee Chair Anne Urquhart said the inquiry represents a crucial step for sustainable energy management in Australia.
“As the amount of solar generation installed across the nation continues to grow, it is critical to examine the end‑of‑life plan for solar infrastructure,” Urquhart said.
“This inquiry will examine the current and future impacts of solar waste, and the state of Australia’s solar panel reuse and recycling capabilities.”
Australia’s solar industry, now a cornerstone of the national energy mix, installs hundreds of thousands of panels annually across residential, commercial, and large‑scale projects.
However, many early‑generation panels from the early 2010s are beginning to reach the end of their serviceable life, underscoring the need for coordinated policy, infrastructure, and investment to prevent a bottleneck in waste management.
The Committee will also consider how more advanced reuse and recovery programs could strengthen Australia’s circular economy, reduce emissions, and lessen dependence on imported materials used in renewable technology manufacturing.
“To progress Australia’s transition to a circular economy, the barriers to reusing and recycling solar panels at scale need to be identified through close collaboration with industry, academia, and subject matter experts,” Urquhart added.
Submissions to the inquiry are being invited from a broad range of stakeholders, including manufacturers, recyclers, research institutions, and environmental groups.
The Committee is particularly interested in feedback on Australia’s existing recycling capacity, the economics of recovering and reprocessing materials, and the policy settings required to encourage sustainable disposal practices nationwide.
Written submissions addressing the terms of reference are open until 27 March 2026.
Further details, including the full scope of the inquiry and submission guidelines, can be found on the Committee’s website.
Through this process, the Committee aims to identify practical strategies to reduce landfill waste, unlock new recycling industries, and ensure that Australia’s renewable energy expansion remains environmentally responsible from installation through to end‑of‑life management.