Used solar panels to be moved from rooftops to citizens’ balconies – Germany finds alternative to recycling

in germany spend This is an interesting social experiment where the raw disposal of old solar panels is sold to citizens for use in building “solar balconies” in residential apartments. Recycling costs money and provides a small amount of raw material for reuse, while selling less efficient panels that are still working can give them a second life at a lower cost.

Image source: SoLocal Energy

The experiment was carried out in the city of Kassel as part of a project to reuse 300 discarded photovoltaic panels. As a result, 150 household “balcony power plants” came into being. The panels worked on the roof of an industrial building for about 13 years, after which, rather than being sent for recycling, they were inspected, repaired and given the opportunity to be reused in residents’ small power generation systems. This project, implemented by ClimateHub Kassel and SoLocal Energy, is betting on the development of a circular solar economy.

Each module undergoes a technical inspection before being reused. Of the old panels supplied, only 12 were unusable due to minor defects, the rest were cleaned and equipped with new connectors for use in assembling balcony PV installations. The total weight of the reused panels is approximately 6 tons. Organizers note that under normal circumstances the panels would be recycled, with only certain materials – glass, aluminum and some components of silicon substrates – allowed to be recycled.

The project also aims to reduce the cost of solar energy for households of all income levels. The preferential price for a set of two 650 W modules is 825 euros, the standard tariff is 1000 euros, and a fund to subsidize low-income buyers is 1175 euros. In addition, battery storage systems, inverters, connection kits and electricity meters are available. Assistance was also provided with the installation and connection of electrical equipment and the necessary operating certificates were issued.

Organizers estimate that reusing these panels will avoid approximately 500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions₂ Extend the remaining useful life of your equipment while reducing waste. Maintenance and transport companies volunteered to take part in the operation. Cargo bikes are used to deliver purchased goods to addresses. If we want to be environmentally friendly, let’s stay the course.