CEF has teamed up with waste management and recycling company Waste Experts and ROSI – a French innovator in solar panel recycling – to offer UK wide collection capabilities for end-of-life solar panels.
The partnership aims to directly address a critical issue in the renewable energy sector – the responsible recycling and treatment of end-of-life solar panels.
As the UK makes efforts to shift to clean energy, sustainable solar panel recycling and material recovery has never been more critical. Despite this, the UK currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the transition. Currently, many end-of-life solar panels risk being sent to landfills, stock pilled or illegally exported – leading to increased environmental harm.
To tackle this challenge, CEF in partnership with Waste Experts and ROSI, is offering a UK wide collection for end-of-life solar panels via a combination of in house and subcontracted fleets, ensuring fully compliant handling and transportation in line with environmental and regulatory standards.
The end-of-life solar panels will then be processed at ROSI’s facility using advanced recycling technologies to recover up to 95% of the value of photovoltaic (PV) modules, including high-purity silicon, silver, copper, aluminium, and high-transparency glass.
The approach aims to significantly reduce the reliance on virgin materials and ensures valuable resources remain in circulation. Producing less than 1% of disposable waste, it also helps cut carbon emissions, as each tonne of recycled solar modules saves one tonne of CO2, greatly reducing the environmental footprint of solar energy.
Mike Gadd, Director of Renewables at City Electrical Factors (CEF), said: “Waste Experts provide CEF customers with a nationwide solution to manage their carbon footprint by considering a product’s full lifecycle and ensuring responsible end-of-life treatment. By recovering valuable materials and minimising landfill waste, we are driving long-term sustainability in clean energy and beyond.”
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