UNSW Launches Australia’s First Dedicated Solar Panel Recycling Research Hub

UNSW Sydney has opened a national research hub focused on solar panel recycling, marking Australia’s first coordinated initiative aimed at building a circular economy for photovoltaic materials.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability is backed by a A$5 million grant under the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program. The hub will bring together researchers, industry partners and policymakers to address the growing volume of end-of-life solar panels.

Australia is expected to generate around 100,000 tonnes of photovoltaic waste annually by 2030, as early-generation installations reach the end of their operating life. The new hub is designed to develop technologies and systems to recover materials such as glass, silicon, silver and copper from decommissioned panels.

The initiative builds on UNSW’s long-standing role in solar technology development and shifts focus toward downstream challenges, including recycling and material recovery. The hub will work across the value chain, from improving panel design for recyclability to advancing sorting and separation processes.

Professor Yansong Shen, who leads the hub, said the aim is to redirect solar panel waste away from landfill and into reuse pathways. Research programs will focus on increasing recovery rates and improving efficiency in processing mixed panel components.

The hub will also contribute to policy development by linking academic research with industry requirements, supporting the emergence of a domestic recycling sector. Officials said the initiative could help establish new supply chains and reduce reliance on imported raw materials.

Matt Thistlethwaite, who attended the launch, said developing recycling capacity alongside renewable deployment is necessary to ensure long-term sustainability of the energy transition.

The program is expected to support workforce development and create opportunities in emerging recycling and materials processing sectors, as Australia prepares for a significant increase in solar panel decommissioning over the next decade.

Source: UNSW Sydney

SUNSHINE Spotlight: As solar installations mature, Australia is investing in recycling research to turn future panel waste into a domestic source of critical materials.