Circular Solar: The Opportunities For Increased Circularity In The Solar PV Industry

5th March 2025 – New report from CISL, E.ON Group Innovation and IfM Engage explores the challenges and circular solutions associated with the expected increase in end-of-life solar PV waste over the coming years, highlighting the need to avoid causing an environmental crisis by addressing the climate crisis.

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About

This report looks at the challenges, opportunities and pathways to an improved circular economy for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in the EU. For this analysis, a circular economy is defined as a system that preserves the value of materials and minimises waste through reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling.

Solar PV is one of the most widely deployed and cost-effective technologies for renewable electricity generation, featuring heavily in net zero strategies and pathways for the energy sector transformation. In the past two decades, the adoption of solar PVs has been driven up by a virtuous cycle of improved efficiency and declining costs, with 2024 seeing the largest increase yet. 

Transitioning to a more circular solar PV value chain can deliver environmental, economic and social benefits. Strategies such as extending the lifespan of solar PVs through repair and remanufacturing, and maximising material recovery through recycling, can reduce resource consumption, pollution, and emissions – especially when powered by sustainable energy. It can also reduce resource consumption and import dependency. Despite growing interest, circular economy strategies for solar PVs have yet to achieve economies of scale, with many promising new operations existing in the margins of the industry. 

Investing now in the development and scaling up of circular technologies and strategies presents an important economic opportunity for the EU. As the number of damaged and decommissioned solar PVs grows, so do the business opportunities for repair, refurbishing and recycling operators.

Policy and governance are crucial drivers of the business transition to a circular economy. While the EU has strong circular economy ambitions supported by regulations, implementation remains inconsistent. Measuring progress is also difficult in the absence of detailed and comprehensive data on the location, age and status of solar PVs deployed in the EU.

This report emphasises the need for collaboration between businesses and policymakers to foster demand and incentivise innovation. Establishing effective second-life and end-of-life strategies, advancing technology readiness and leveraging policy support will be essential in creating a robust circular economy framework that sustains the growth and sustainability of the solar PV sector.

“The PV solar industry is under growing pressure to address environmental concerns and human rights issues. As demand for renewable energy continues to rise, so does the need for greater resource efficiency, longer-lasting components, and effective recycling solutions. At E.ON, we are committed to leading the sector towards circularity —minimizing waste, optimizing resources, and ensuring a sustainable energy future. This study marks a crucial step in that journey, providing insights and solutions to drive real change.”

David Radermacher, Vice President Sustainability and Climate at E.ON SE

"As the demand for critical raw materials in green energy technologies grows, our goal at E.ON Group Innovation is to stay ahead of the curve. This report is essential in highlighting the opportunities and barriers in circularity, offering a roadmap to address these challenges. By embracing innovative and collaborative approaches, we can effectively manage the environmental impacts of the anticipated surge in end-of-life PVs."

Dr. Munib Amin, Head of Research & Technology and Managing Director, E.ON Group Innovation GmbH

“This report highlights a crucial moment in the race towards net-zero by 2050. While solar PV features heavily in many nations’ plans to achieve their emission reduction goals, the sustainable management of its end of life is currently a major challenge. By focusing on circularity in the solar PV value chain, this excellent report underscores the need to balance innovation, sustainability, and economic growth, reminding us that the development environmentally friendly solutions must reflect on sustainability requirements throughout the entire life span of a product.”

Dr David Lott M.Phys FCA, CEO, IfM Engage

"Green energy deployment is and will be critical for our climate goals, but as this expands we must focus on circularity or risk creating new probelms. Solar panel waste is projected to scale 1,000-fold by 2050—from 0.2 million tonnes to 200 million tonnes. This report sounds the alarm for European policymakers and sets out a plan: build recycling capacity now and harvest the competitive advantage of turning today's panels into tomorrow's resources"

Eliot Whittington, Chief Systems Change Officer, CISL

Citing this report

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), E.ON Group Innovation GmbH and IfM Engage. (2025). Circular Solar: The Opportunities for Increased Circularity in the Solar PV Industry. Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

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