The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has launched a major national research effort aimed at tackling one of the clean energy sector’s fastest-growing challenges: what to do with solar panels at the end of their life.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability was officially opened at UNSW yesterday, marking Australia’s first dedicated initiative focused on building a circular solar economy.
The Hub is supported by a $5 million grant from the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research program and brings together researchers, industry and policymakers to address the looming wave of solar panel waste.
UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Professor Bronwyn Fox, said the initiative reflects the university’s focus on solving urgent global challenges through collaboration and innovation.
“Photovoltaic waste in Australia is predicted to reach 100,000 tonnes annually by 2030,” said Professor Fox.
“As we accelerate towards a net-zero future, we must ensure the technologies enabling that transition are themselves sustainable.
“This Hub brings together world-leading Australian engineers, scientists, policy makers and industry to transform end-of-life solar panels from an emerging waste challenge into a valuable resource, helping build a circular economy and strengthening Australia’s clean energy leadership.”
The urgency is underscored by Australia’s rapid adoption of solar energy, with more than 3.5 million installations nationwide.
Many of these systems are expected to reach end-of-life within the next decade, creating both an environmental risk and an economic opportunity.
Hub Director Professor Yansong Shen, from UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering, said the focus is on recovering valuable materials and preventing panels from ending up in landfill.
“End-of-life solar panels contain many valuable materials like glass, silicon, silver and copper,” said Professor Shen.
“Our goal is to move these panels away from landfill and towards recycling in a circular economy where materials are recovered and reused.”
Research efforts are already underway, including developing advanced methods to extract high-value materials, improving technologies to separate panel components more efficiently, and redesigning panels so they are easier to recycle from the outset.
The Hub will also work to strengthen policy frameworks and improve the entire solar value chain, from production through to disposal and reuse.
“We want to help build a robust recycling industry in Australia that creates jobs, supports new supply chains and improves our sustainable energy security,” said Professor Yansong.
“We will know we’ve achieved our objectives when solar panel waste is no longer seen as a problem, but as part of a sustainable system.”
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite, who officially opened the Hub, highlighted Australia’s unique position as both a solar technology leader and one of the world’s sunniest countries.
“The stakes are real. If we get this right, there will be less landfill, new domestic supply chains for current materials, a more resilient energy sector, and perhaps most importantly, for students and early career researchers, new industries and new jobs that probably don’t exist yet,” said Thistlethwaite.
