The first 15 sites of the Queensland Government’s solar panel recycling, reuse and recovery pilot have officially opened and is expected to save approximately 26t of waste from entering landfill.
In partnership with the Smart Energy Council, the Queensland Government said that the program will deliver solar panel recycling across the state and guide better practice in the renewable energy sector by improving industry engagement with communities.
The Solar Panel Stewardship program was officially launched in Redlands as part of Community Cabinet, with six solar panel collection sites across the state confirmed, including Capalaba and North Lakes in greater Brisbane, along with the Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville.
A total of 15 locations will be announced in the coming weeks, covering large swathes of the state.
The pilot is supported by almost $5.5 million in funding as part of the Queensland Government’s Recycling and Jobs Fund, and the Queensland Renewable Energy Industry Association Grant to deliver the end-of-life solar panel recovery trial.
The product stewardship pilot is designed to test the feasibility of collection, re-use and recycling for solar panels from homes, businesses and solar farms, ensuring a significant reduction in landfill.
The program aims to plan for the future and will inform the creation of a national stewardship scheme.
The trial will also incorporate two regional “legacy runs” in which local councils will gather household panels for pickup, and installers and importers with accumulated stock are included in the collection.
Participating in the pilot are recycling, reuse companies and solar industry firms Rexel, Resolarcycle, and Solar Shift. The Smart Energy Council is working closely with local councils in the rollout of this program.
Queensland Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs, Mick de Brenni, said, “Queensland is leading the way in rooftop solar penetration, and now we’re the leaders in the recycling of those systems too.
“By turning old solar panels into valuable resources, Queensland is powering up the circular economy, helping to build jobs, innovation, and a cleaner future.”
Mr de Brenni said that the program is nation-leading work, and the Smart Energy Council and the State Government are fully committed to making the Queensland the leader in renewable recycling.
“Not only do solar panels make renewable energy, but now they’re renewable themselves,” Mr de Brenni said.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Innovation and Science, Leanne Linard, said that the start of collections for the nation-leading solar panel stewardship pilot is a fantastic milestone as the State Government works to establish a best-practice recovery scheme for panels being replaced, as well as providing the opportunity for these panels to be given a new or extended life or be recycled to the highest standard.
“I am heartened by the strong interest in the pilot from recyclers and local councils,” Ms Linard said.
“I look forward to the pilot’s successful completion and a full evaluation so we can apply what has been learnt to a permanent scheme.”
Member for Capalaba, Don Brown, said, “With more than 40,000 solar systems soaking up the sun in the Redlands region alone, I know this program is important to our local community and will contribute to our circular economy.
“This is the next step in our clean energy transition, completing the loop on the full life cycle of a solar panel.”
Member for Redlands, Kim Richards, said that recycling is really important for Baysiders, and the initiative will give the community peace of mind that their panels will have a second life and won’t contribute to landfill.
“Thanks to the Queensland Government’s partnership with the Smart Energy Council, Queensland – and especially the Redlands – is leading the way when it comes to solar panel recycling.”
Smart Energy Council Chief Executive, John Grimes, said, “The Queensland Solar Stewardship Scheme has already triggered a massive growth of investment in the recovery and recycling of solar panels.
“More than five recycling companies have already indicated they’ll be entering the market in Queensland.”
Mr Grimes said that it’s exciting to get the important nation-leading work started.
“The recycling ecosystem is a critical part of securing the renewable energy transition into the future and provide insurance against future material limits like copper and silver,” Mr Grimes said.
“Queensland is rapidly becoming a national circular economy hotspot, attracting millions of dollars of investment.”
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