SOLAR MATERIALS Begins a New Chapter in Sustainability
SOLAR MATERIALS Begins a New Chapter in Sustainability
A Major Step Toward Sustainability in the Solar Industry
SOLAR MATERIALS is breaking ground on its first industrial-scale recycling plant for solar panels in Magdeburg, Germany. Using a unique, patented process, this facility will make it possible to recycle solar panels on a large scale, reclaiming valuable materials like silicon, silver, and glass to reduce waste in the renewable energy sector.
From Vision to Reality
In 2021, founders Fridolin Franke, Jan Bargel, and Jan-Philipp Mai met at Technische Universität Braunschweig, united by a vision: to make the solar industry more sustainable. After extensive research and testing, they developed a process for extracting reusable materials from solar panels. This led to the founding of SOLAR MATERIALS, where the team began by manually disassembling panels
Rapid Growth and Innovation
By 2023, SOLAR MATERIALS had launched its first fully automated pilot line, gaining certification as a recycling company in Germany with the capacity to process up to 3,000 tons of solar panels annually. Their low-cost, high-quality recycling process quickly established us as a market leader.
Expanding Capacity for a Sustainable Future
To meet growing demand, SOLAR MATERIALS is now constructing a facility capable of recycling up to 10,000 tons of panels per year. This expansion solidifies our role as pioneers in solar panel recycling, marking a significant step toward a circular solar economy.
Stay tuned as SOLAR MATERIALS leads the way in sustainable energy, turning solar panel waste into a valuable resource for a greener future.
Business
On November 23rd 2022 SOLAR MATERIALS had the opportunity to participate in the Solarplaza Sustainability & Circularity Summit and exchange ideas with many industry representatives about sustainability in the solar sector. In addition, Fridolin participated in a panel discussion on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and was able to report on our progress in closing the loop in the solar industry.
SOLAR MATERIALS bei Solarplaza Sustainability & Circularity Summit
Am 23. November 2022 hatte SOLAR MATERIALS die Gelegenheit, am Solarplaza Sustainability & Circularity Summit teilzunehmen und sich mit vielen Branchenvertretern über Nachhaltigkeit in der Solarbranche auszutauschen. Darüber hinaus nahm Fridolin Franke an einer Podiumsdiskussion unter dem Motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” teil und konnte über unsere Fortschritte bei der Schließung des Kreislaufs in der Solarbranche berichten.
Katapult Accelerator 2022
Business
We are really excited to announce that SOLAR MATERIALS is in the top 23 impact tech startups to receive investment from Katapult group this fall. 🚀 These startups represent the top 1% of all 1900 candidates to the accelerator program. In total, the recruitment round screened startups from 6 continents and around 62 countries, and the selected 23 companies represent 14 different countries and span 5 continents.
We will join other startups in the Katapult Accelerator 2022: An accelerator program specifically designed for high impact Ocean- and Climate-tech companies. This award winning program is Katapult’s flagship accelerator program and has received international praise for being the most comprehensive impact program in the world. Over the next three months, we will strengthen our skills in impact, strategy, management and investor readiness through a combination of video modules and hands-on workshops. We will also benefit from entering a network of international mentors, industry players and investors.
Jørn Haanæs, Investment Director of Climate says: “We invest in the most impressive teams we can find, teams, building real climate solutions in fast growing markets. We’re proud to partner with SOLAR MATERIALS for the coming decade.”
