OnePlanet Unveils PRISM Process to Recover High-Purity Silicon and Silver From End-of-Life Solar Panels

According to company reports, OnePlanet, a U.S.-based advanced materials recovery company, has unveiled PRISM™, an automated recycling process designed to recover copper, aluminum and high-purity silicon containing silver from end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) panels. The company has completed engineering testing at its facility in Green Cove Springs, Florida, and expects production to begin in 2027.

PRISM, short for Photovoltaic Recycling through Integrated Systems and Mechanics, is a redesigned processing line developed for crystalline-silicon solar modules. OnePlanet has operated a commercial demonstration facility at the Florida site for more than two years, processing end-of-life modules and testing mechanical recovery methods.

The process uses mechanical separation rather than thermal or chemical treatment. In repeated tests of the complete equipment configuration, PRISM removed 99.5% of module glass at 99% purity before size reduction. OnePlanet said this approach allows clean glass to be recovered while keeping silicon- and silver-bearing cell material concentrated rather than mixing it into a broader crushed material stream. 

Downstream processing produced a silicon stream exceeding 95% purity and containing approximately 1% silver, alongside a copper granulate stream with 99% purity and aluminum with 99.9% purity. The aluminum product is identified as 6063 alloy. OnePlanet said the results were supported by independent third-party laboratory testing and were achieved with both monofacial and bifacial modules, including storm-damaged panels.

“One percent silver is not a trace amount. In metallurgical terms, that’s a substantial grade, richer than most mined ore,” said André Pujadas, Chief Executive Officer of OnePlanet. “Combined with silicon above 95% purity, you have a single feedstock that can feed both an MGS and silver refinery under one roof.”

The company plans to use the recovered silicon as feedstock for a future metallurgical-grade silicon (MGS) refining process. OnePlanet is targeting development of the refining stage for 2030, with the process designed to recover silver during silicon refining so that it can be produced as a separate finished material.

OnePlanet said silicon with more than 95% purity requires less upgrading to reach MGS specifications than material produced from virgin quartzite. The company expects this could reduce the energy and emissions intensity associated with the refining stage, although the proposed MGS process has not yet entered commercial production.

Silicon and silver were added to the U.S. Critical Minerals List in November 2025. Both materials are used in solar manufacturing and other industrial applications, while the United States continues to rely on imports for significant volumes.

OnePlanet has received a $14.5 million investment tax credit allocation under the federal Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) program to support construction of its first industrial-scale facility, known as River City. The facility is planned to house the company’s first integrated PRISM production lines.

The company’s longer-term strategy is to use PRISM to establish a feedstock stream for domestic silicon and silver refining. If the planned MGS refinery reaches operation, OnePlanet expects its recycled silicon output to be processed internally, extending the company’s activities from photovoltaic material recovery into refined silicon and silver production.

Source: PR Newswire

SUNSHINE Spotlight: OnePlanet’s PRISM process targets recovery of high-purity silicon and concentrated silver from end-of-life solar panels, creating a potential domestic feedstock source for future U.S. silicon and silver refining.