Why Sharing Our Mission Matters: Insights from a CleanTech Startup
Why Sharing Our Mission Matters: Insights from a CleanTech Startup
As a fast growing CleanTech startup, time is the most limited resource. Balancing priorities and managing the demands of a growing company often means that outreach and public engagement can feel like “extra.” However, at SOLAR MATERIALS, we see immense value in taking time to engage with the public, even with a packed schedule. Here’s why we believe it’s worth it:
Building Community Trust: Recycling with Responsibility
Every company operates within a specific community context—whether it’s through our employees, our physical presence, or the direct impact of our operations. Recycling companies, in particular, often face unique challenges. On the one hand, society strongly supports sustainable recycling efforts; on the other, many communities are hesitant to host recycling facilities due to perceived environmental concerns.
By opening our doors and showcasing what sustainable recycling truly entails, we demonstrate how responsible operations can coexist with local communities. For us, this means being transparent about our methods, processes, and safety standards to address concerns and foster trust with our neighbors.
Confronting Misconceptions About Solar Panel Recycling
One of the common myths we encounter is the belief that solar panels are difficult, unprofitable, or even impossible to recycle responsibly. But, at SOLAR MATERIALS, we’re committed to proving otherwise. Recycling solar panels is not only feasible but essential for a sustainable energy future. This process allows us to recover valuable materials and feed them back into the economy, helping to close the loop in the renewable energy lifecycle.
We believe that providing clear information on how and why solar panel recycling works is crucial in dispelling these misconceptions. By sharing our approach, we hope to build broader understanding and support for recycling as an integral part of green energy solutions.
Informing Policy Through Public Engagement
In a democracy, policy is shaped by the choices and opinions of the public. At SOLAR MATERIALS, we recognize that the public—our neighbors, customers, and citizens—ultimately elects the policymakers who create the regulatory frameworks affecting our industry. While regulations aim to support the green transition, gaps often exist between legislative intent and practical implementation.
Our goal in engaging with the public is to bridge these gaps. By demonstrating where theory and real-world challenges diverge, we can contribute to the discussion on creating realistic, actionable policy. This engagement is key to shaping a legal environment that supports sustainable innovation while balancing industry feasibility.
Creating a Space for Dialogue
When I have the opportunity to engage with stakeholders—whether with national leaders like Robert Habeck, local policymakers like Sven Schulz, or members of foundations like the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung—I’m reminded of the power of open dialogue. These exchanges allow us to share the realities and challenges of recycling technology while listening to diverse perspectives that shape our industry.
At SOLAR MATERIALS, our mission goes beyond business. We aim to be part of a larger, collaborative effort toward a sustainable future. By taking the time to share our insights, we’re not only informing others but also building the trust and understanding needed to move forward in partnership with society.
SOLAR MATERIALS
About SOLAR MATERIALS
With the aim to close the raw material cycle in the solar industry, SOLAR MATERIALS developed its own patented recycling technology for solar modules, which recovers all raw materials from end-of-life solar modules, including silver and silicon economically.
German minister for Economic Affairs and Climate protection meets technology leader in solar recycling
German minister for Economic Affairs and Climate protection meets technology leader in solar recycling
Habeck visits SOLAR MATERIALS solar panel recycling plant in Magdeburg
Magdeburg. On Thursday, 11 July 2024, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in Germany, Robert Habeck, visited SOLAR MATERIALS GmbH the technology leader in the recycling of solar modules in Magdeburg.
During his visit, Habeck emphasised the importance of recycling solar modules for the German economy and climate protection. Germany is at the forefront of the global solar boom. The world’s first market for the recycling of solar modules is therefore emerging here. By 2035, a quarter of a million tonnes of solar modules will be ready for recycling. The reason for the end of life is weather damage, production defects or age. SOLAR MATERIALS is already receiving recycling requests in the order of several hundred lorries.
The speed of authorisation procedures for the storage of solar modules was also discussed with Habeck. These take months, even though the authorities have no concerns and the storage areas are ready to go.
The EU POP Regulation, which requires declaration analyses for more than 130,000 module types, also jeopardises competitiveness in solar recycling. This is because some manufacturers no longer exist or customers do not have the data sheets.
Bundeswirtschaftsminister Habeck trifft Technologieführer im Solarrecycling
Magdeburg. Am Donnerstag, dem 11. Juli 2024, besuchte der Bundesminister für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, Robert Habeck, die SOLAR MATERIALS GmbH in Magdeburg, den Technologieführer beim Recycling von Solarmodulen.
Mit seinem Besuch hat Habeck die Bedeutung des Recyclings von Solarmodulen für die deutsche Wirtschaft sowie den Klimaschutz hervorgehoben. Deutschland ist Vorreiter des globalen Solar-Booms. Somit entsteht hier weltweit der erste Markt für das Recycling der Solarmodule. Bis zum Jahr 2035 sind eine Viertel Millionen Tonnen Solarmodule bereit für das Recycling. Der Grund für das Lebensende sind Wetterschäden,Produktionsfehler oder das Alter. Bereits heute erhält SOLAR MATERIALS Recyclinganfragen in Größenordnungen von mehreren hundert LKWs.
Zudem wurde mit Habeck über die Geschwindigkeit von Genehmigungsverfahren zur Lagerung von Solarmodulen diskutiert. Diese dauern Monate, obwohl aus Sicht der Behörden keine Bedenken bestehen und die Lagerflächen startklar sind.
Auch die EU-POP-Verordnung, die Deklarationsanalysen für mehr als 130.000 Modultypen vorsieht, gefährdet die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit im Solarrecycling. Denn Hersteller existieren teilweise nicht mehr oder Kunden besitzen die Datenblätter nicht.
SOLAR MATERIALS
About SOLAR MATERIALS
With the aim to close the raw material cycle in the solar industry, SOLAR MATERIALS developed its own patented recycling technology for solar modules, which recovers all raw materials from end-of-life solar modules, including silver and silicon economically.
SOLAR MATERIALS increases the company’s annual recycling capacity to 10,000 tons
SOLAR MATERIALS to build industrial scale recycling plant for solar panels to increase the company’s annual recycling capacity to 10,000 tons
Magdeburg 04.06.2024 – SOLAR MATERIALS, a cleantech startup from Magdeburg for solar panel recycling, announced the successful closing of its EUR 12.2 million Series A round. With the funding, the company builds its first industrial sized recycling plant in Magdeburg and increases its recycling capacity to over 10,000 tons or 500,000 solar panels per year.
“The new plant will be commissioned around May 2025 at a new site in Magdeburg and will create around 20 new jobs in the region.” says co-founder Fridolin Franke. The plant will act as the company’s blueprint for the international rollout, as the volume of solar panel waste is growing exponentially globally. “We already plan to open a second site for the primary treatment of solar panels in southern Germany this year as we see increasing demand in Germany, as today’s largest solar panel recycling market” comments Fridolin Franke further.
The financing round was funded by the company’s existing investors bmp Ventures with the IBG funds, First Imagine!, and Katapult with an additional grant component of the EIC Accelerator.
Boris Dorin, Partner at First Imagine!, comments
“SOLAR MATERIALS could quickly position itself in the German recycling market, which is currently Europe’s largest market. This proofed the solution to be technically and commercially feasible. Since our investment into the up and running pilot, the company demonstrated its technology to be robust, scalable, and efficient to become a global solution. SOLAR MATERIALS underlines our mission to support great cleantech companies to create a sustainable future and build a circular economy.”
The investment into the first industrial recycling plant is the response to the rapidly increasing demand. Since November 2023, SOLAR MATERIALS recycles solar panels as a certified waste treatment company for solar panels and proofed their technology on commercial scale. “In the minute we were fully certified, we received overwhelming request for our recycling services and the recycled raw materials. With the current backlog of orders and request, recycling volumes already fill our capacity for the next year.” comments co-founder Dr. Jan-Philipp Mai.
Innovative solution for an urgent problem
Solar is one of the pillars of the energy transition and recycling solar panels plays a crucial role to achieve truly green solar energy. Over 100 million tons of solar panels are already installed, and they are an important source of raw materials. Today’s recycling processes are based on the traditional shredding and sorting recycling approach. While this allows glass, copper and aluminum to be recovered, the functional materials of the solar cells silicon and silver are lost. SOLAR MATERIALS has developed its own process to recover the previously lost raw materials silicon and silver.
David Stuck, Principal at bmp Ventures and the responsible investment manager, says
“SOLAR MATERIALS has succeeded in positioning itself as a leading technology player in an attractive growth market thanks to its professional setup, strong founders and its ESG and impact-compliant business model – keyword Circular Economy. SOLAR MATERIALS thus not only underpins our successful investment approach but can also make a significant contribution to the global and sustainable energy transition. The company’s ambitious expansion targets can be further accelerated with the conclusion of the Series A financing round. In addition, we will closely support the management and help develop the company to a new size level.”
Global perspective
As the volume of solar panel waste is rising globally, it becomes more and more important to establish collecting systems and recycling plants in other countries as well. A look at the overall balance sheet of SOLAR MATERIALS’ technology shows that cost-effectiveness and ecology are not mutually exclusive. Not only is the process economically sustainable, but the recycled raw materials require about 80% less energy than their primary production. Jan Bargel, co-founder & CTO explains “With the first of a kind (FOAK) industrial plant we will proof our technology to be easy to operate, highly scalable, and thus a perfect solution to tackle the global challenge.”
Carl Strøm Walton, Investment Director at Katapult VC, a leading Norwegian climate tech-focused fund and accelerator, adds
“Since originally investing in SOLAR MATERIALS back in 2022, we have worked closely with the team and become ever more impressed and convinced by their vision and the viability of their unique solution. The SOLAR MATERIALS solution can be game-changing in solving circularity of raw materials in the solar energy space. This Series A represents a critical inflection point in the journey as it paves the way for their industrial scale FOAK site which will act as the blueprint towards global expansion.”
With the financing round now completed, the company considers itself well equipped to respond to the growing demand and make solar energy a real green energy source.
“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101145463.”
About the IBG Funds
The IBG funds, headquartered in Magdeburg, are the venture capital funds of the country of Saxony-Anhalt – they provide capital to young, innovative technology companies with sustainable and above average growth potential, based in Saxony-Anhalt. By the end of 2023, IBG launched the new venture capital fund, RKF IV, with a volume of 63 million euros. The fund is financed by the state and the European Union and invests in innovative startups in Saxony-Anhalt in the seed, early stage, and expansion. The IBG funds are managed by bmp Ventures AG.
About bmp Ventures
With a track record of over 250 investments across nearly all technology segments, mainly in the early-stage phase, bmp Ventures is one of the most experienced venture capital investors in Germany. In addition to direct investments, bmp managed venture capital funds for institutions such as the KfW Banking Group and DEG, the German Investment and Development Corporation. Currently, bmp oversees the IBG funds in Saxony-Anhalt and employs approximately 20 experts across its Berlin and Magdeburg locations.
About Katapult
Katapult VC is a global investment company focusing on early stage impact driven technology startups. Over the last 7 years, Katapult has made 169 investments in impact tech startups from 47 different countries. Katapult has primarily invested within three verticals: Ocean, Climate and Africa. In 2021, Katapult launched the Katapult Foundation with the aim of building a larger network around impact investing. Katapult also hosts the annual Katapult Future Fest in Oslo, bringing together founders, investors and some of the most prominent figures within impact investment.
About First Imagine
First Imagine! is a European-based venture investor exclusively focused on the energy transition, covering a broad range of technologies from energy generation to transmission and distribution, to consumption and demand management. First Imagine! specifically targets startups at the early commercialization stage, primarily in Europe (EU, UK, Nordics) and Israel.
Established in 2016, First Imagine! has a distributed team with over 50 years of combined expertise in the power industry to help startups in the energy transition space to grow and thrive, while contributing to a more sustainable future.
About SOLAR MATERIALS
The cleantech startup SOLAR MATERIALS develops technologies for recycling solar panels. With their patented recycling process, all raw materials of the solar modules to be recycled can be recovered economically. The focus is particularly on the functional materials silver and silicon as well as high-quality glass to close the raw material cycle of solar and contributes to a green energy supply.