New Framework Weighs Solar Panel Recycling Costs
The research-stage tool targets emerging economies as solar overtakes natural gas by 2026 and coal by 2027.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Energy
Live Poll
Should governments require solar panel makers to pay for recycling them?
Researchers have developed a decision-support framework for assessing the costs of recycling photovoltaic panels in emerging economies. The framework is a research-stage methodology, validated with expert review in an emerging-economy context, not a deployed commercial tool.
Why it matters
Recycling often looks less economically attractive than landfill disposal, and the volume of material processed is a key cost driver, which widens the gap between the environmental case for recycling and its commercial reality. The framework is meant to strengthen circular economy practices and support resource recovery as solar deployment grows.
The framework was validated through expert evaluation rather than measured against operational recycling costs, and no cost figures or comparators are reported. Its relative cost weighting has not been tested against real facility data, so its predictive accuracy remains unestablished.
The details
The team first ran a systematic literature review to identify the cost components of recycling, then organized those components using the Function Analysis System Technique, a method for mapping what each part of a process is meant to accomplish. Experts then checked whether each cost component was relevant, using the Fuzzy Delphi method, a consensus approach that accounts for uncertainty in expert judgment, together with Mean Rank Position. Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis, a weighting method, then assigned relative weights to the cost categories.
Timeline
2026 — solar is expected to overtake natural gas as a major source of electricity generation.
2027 — solar is expected to overtake coal as a major source of electricity generation.
Within the next 15 to 20 years — discarded panels could become a substantial waste burden without effective recycling.
The Tech Race
The framework sits within a research effort to make panel end-of-life management economically viable alongside the projected overtaking of natural gas by 2026 and coal by 2027. It addresses the cost side of recycling, where no comparably structured decision tool for emerging economies is reported in the source.
The framework is a research-stage methodology and is not yet available as a tool for operators or policymakers. Its practical effect on recycling services and pricing in emerging economies has not been announced or scheduled.
The takeaway
The framework's trajectory points toward recycling decisions grounded in structured cost analysis rather than intuition, particularly in markets where solar capacity is growing fast. Watch for the planned application of the framework to operational data from recycling facilities, which would be the first test of whether its cost weightings hold up in practice.
Further reading
For broader context on how solar waste and recycling economics fit into the energy transition, explore our Energy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Green Building Africa.
Live Poll
Should governments require solar panel makers to pay for recycling them?
