Breakthrough in Recycling Solar Panels for a Greener Future

Scientists developed a nonhazardous strategy for recycling solar panels that enables nearly all components to be recovered and reused without efficiency loss.

By Tanja Eisemann

Solar power has emerged as a leading solution to the growing demand for clean and renewable energy. However, while conventional solar panels contribute to clean energy production, their manufacturing and disposal represent environmental challenges. Now, a groundbreaking innovation may change that: researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a method for fully recycling solar panels, making a major step toward truly sustainable energy.

The hidden environmental cost of solar panels

The environmental impact of conventional solar panels has been an ongoing concern. Their manufacturing process requires substantial energy and consumes valuable resources. Moreover, at the end of their lifespan, their recycling or disposal creates toxic waste. “There is currently no efficient technology to deal with the waste of silicon panels. That’s why old solar panels end up in the landfill,” says Dr. Xun Xiao, postdoc at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Linköping University and first researcher of the study. Conventional silicon solar panels are projected to generate 78 million tons of electronic waste by 2050. 

Perovskite solar cells: a promising alternative

Alternative perovskite solar cells are more efficiently recyclable, relatively inexpensive, and due to their flexibility they can be placed on many surfaces. As the name implies, these panels contain a material called perovskite, which mimics the crystal structure of the naturally occurring mineral perovskite. This synthetic perovskite acts as the light-absorbing layer, allowing the solar cell to efficiently capture sunlight and produce electricity. Over time, perovskite solar panels degrade due to exposure to moisture, oxygen, heat, and UV radiation, leading to structural instability and the breakdown of the active layer. The recycling process extracts and purifies its key building blocks that can finally be reused. 

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Currently, the typical process for recycling solar panels made of perovskite still relies on hazardous chemicals and significant energy consumption. Moreover, lead is a key component of the perovskite active layer. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that poses potential environmental and health risks, particularly if the panels are improperly disposed of or recycled. Considering these facts as well as their shorter lifespan compared to silicon solar cells, improving their recyclability in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner is crucial.

A revolutionary water-based method for recycling solar panels

To address this issue, a team of scientists led by Dr. Fengqi You and Dr. Feng Gao has introduced a new protocol for recycling solar panels made of perovskite solar cells—one that avoids the toxic chemicals previously used. Their breakthrough, published in Nature, uses a water-based protocol for efficiently recovering materials from old panels. 

To dissolve the perovskite layer of old panels, the scientists use three main additives. Sodium acetate binds to lead ions and allows it to dissolve in water. Sodium iodide stabilizes the dissolved lead and prevents unwanted chemical changes. And hypophosphorous acid protects the solution from unwanted reactions with oxygen and ensures a stable recycling process. The dissolved perovskite materials and lead are then extracted and can be reused in new solar panels. 

This new approach only uses water and common chemicals, some of which are even used as food additives, making the recycling process safer. Moreover, nearly all components of these solar panels can be recovered and reused without a loss in efficiency. “We can recycle everything—covering glasses, electrodes, perovskite layers and also the charge transport layer,” says Xiao. 

Solar panels built from these recovered parts show an efficiency of more than 99 percent compared to devices made with fresh materials. By offering a fully recoverable alternative, this innovation not only reduces waste and environmental toxicity but also conserves valuable resources, making solar energy more cost-effective and sustainable in the long run. 

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Toward a truly circular solar economy

This innovation could transform the solar industry by making clean energy not just renewable but also truly circular. With governments and industries striving for net-zero emissions, this new technology can help. Cleanly recycling solar panels in this way could significantly reduce the environmental footprint of solar energy production. If widely implemented, this breakthrough may help ensure that solar power remains a key player in the fight against climate change—without hidden costs.

As research continues, the next challenge will be scaling up production and making these panels as well as their recycling commercially viable. But one thing is clear: the future of solar energy just got even brighter.

This study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

Reference

Xiao, X., Xu, N., Tian, X., Zhang, T., Wang, B., Wang, X., Xian, Y., Lu, C., Ou, X., Yan, Y., Sun, L., You, F., & Gao, F. (2025). Aqueous-based recycling of perovskite photovoltaics. Nature, 638, 670–675. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08408-7