Patented Process

The Reverse Module Production

At a Glance

SOLAR MATERIALS has developed a patented thermomechanical process that returns end-of-life solar modules to their original raw material fractions.
The technology achieves recovery rates of up to 99% and recovers silver, silicon, glass, aluminum, and copper without chemical inputs.
Rather than producing material mixtures for low-grade applications, the process yields defined material fractions for further industrial processing.
The economic advantage: valuable raw materials are not destroyed but recovered. This allows the recycling process to partially refinance itself through material revenues.
The technology is industrially scalable, licensable, and deployable wherever solar modules reach end of life.

WEEE-compliant

99% Recovery

14,000 t Capacity p.a.

Free Recycling

Solar modules contain critical raw materials. Most of them have not yet returned to the cycle.

The global solar industry has built an enormous raw material base over the past decades. Billions of solar modules have been produced and installed. Each one contains valuable materials such as silver, silicon, aluminum, copper, and glass.

When a module reaches its technical end of life after 20 to 30 years, these raw materials are still present. The problem is not their availability, but their accessibility. The materials are firmly bonded together and can only be separated to a limited extent using conventional processes.

Many existing recycling approaches focus on recovering individual material streams or produce mixed fractions that have limited reuse potential. As a result, a substantial share of the economic value goes unrealized.

At the same time, global demand for critical raw materials is rising. Industry is looking for regional, resilient, and sustainable sources of supply. End-of-life solar modules are therefore evolving from a disposal problem into a strategic raw material source.

SOLAR MATERIALS unlocks this source.

The Reverse Module Production

Manufacturing a solar module permanently bonds glass, aluminum, silicon, silver, copper, and plastics together. SOLAR MATERIALS’ thermomechanical process reverses this.

Rather than combining raw materials into a module, the material composites are selectively separated back into their constituent parts. The individual layers are broken down in a controlled manner and recovered as separate raw material fractions. This approach delivers significantly higher material quality than conventional shredding processes.

The process operates without chemical inputs and is designed for continuous industrial operation. The process steps are automated and built to handle large module volumes economically.

One Technology. One Global Market.

The volume of end-of-life solar modules will grow significantly worldwide over the coming decades. At the same time, new regulatory requirements for recycling rates and material recovery are emerging.

SOLAR MATERIALS therefore does not pursue the model of a single recycling facility. The technology is licensable and can be deployed wherever solar modules arise. Each new facility adds processing capacity while simultaneously expanding the data base for continuous process optimization.

This creates a platform for the global circular economy of the solar industry. Regulatory requirement. Technological solution.

Since 2014, photovoltaic modules in Europe have been subject to the WEEE Directive. In Germany, the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act governs take-back and recovery obligations. Demand for legally compliant recycling solutions is therefore not optional — it is anchored in law.

SOLAR MATERIALS combines regulatory compliance with economically viable material recovery.

Certified. Documented. Operational.

99%

Recovery Rate

Patented thermomechanical process with no chemical inputs. Significantly exceeds regulatory requirements for material recovery and recycling.

14,000

Tons Annual Capacity

Industrial facility in Magdeburg. Designed for large module volumes from solar parks, repowering, and decommissioning.

2023

certified

WEEE-compliant initial treatment facility and certified waste management operation with complete documentation and proof of compliance.

> 70

Employees

Growing team of recycling, logistics, and technology specialists. The foundation for building the solar circular economy at industrial scale.

From Request to Proof of Disposal

Request and Assessment

You provide us with module quantity, module type, and location. We assess the parameters and come back to you with a tailored solution for recycling and logistics.