University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers studied mitigation strategies to help keep solar panels out of landfill, and maximise their life span, by using techniques such as block chain-based platforms or a certification program for second-hand modules.
Led by UniSA PhD student Ishika Chhillar, the research team investigated barriers to the sustainable reuse of solar panels and developed a mitigation strategy for what would be needed to fully realise a circular economy in the solar sector.
“The large-scale reuse of PV panels faces technical, economic and regulatory barriers,” Chhillar said.
“There are many key challenges including the low cost of new panels undercutting the resale PV panel market, a lack of incentives for reuse of the panels, different policies for reuse across states, lack of liability for second hand installations and a limited infrastructure for testing and refurbishing of used panels.”
“Industry, government, academic and consumers all recognise that these barriers can and must be overcome, and that with the right frameworks in place, Australia can extend the life of its solar panels with true environmental and social benefits in the process,” Chhillar said.
National approach and certification
Publishing their findings in the Sustainability journal, called Certification for Solar Panel Reuse: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sector Practices and Gaps, the researchers concluded recycling panels is not enough because significant volumes of end-of-life panels still end up in landfill.
Chhillar and her colleagues propose unlocking a secondary market for used systems, though a barrier to people accessing second-hand panels is the falling cost of new panels which undermines the resale market leaving little financial incentive for consumers or businesses to choose to reuse.
Chhillar said that without a unified, national approach to standards and liability, companies will continue to avoid second-hand products due to compliance risks.
“Currently, the lack of any standard certification for used panels means buyers and installers have little to rely on besides a seller’s word, but an official certification process would change that,” Chhillar said.
“A credible certification program should include standardised testing protocols for used panels. By bridging the trust gap, certification can transform reused panels from a risky option into a transparent and standardised product category.”
Chhillar proposes one option being that certification is accompanied with a clear, consumer-friendly grading system such as a gold, silver or bronze classification or a star-rating label to indicate the remaining efficiency and expected lifespan of a panel.
“This would allow buyers to make informed decisions,” Chhillar said.
The researchers said there is currently no clear guideline for re-selling and installing used panels across states and territories, leaving installers wary of potential legal liabilities.
Digital tracking
UniSA Co-author on the study, Executive Director for the Centre of Workplace Excellence and Associate Professor Sukhbir Sandhu said there is also room for digital innovations for traceability, allowing for greater transparency on whether a panel is fit for reuse.
“If each solar panel’s history and performance data could be recorded in a database accessible to buyers and regulators, it would dramatically reduce uncertainty,” Sandhu said.
“Industry experts we spoke to for this study proposed solutions ranging from simple QR-code labels to block chain-based platforms that track a panel’s “digital passport” throughout its life.”
Sandhu said transparency would enable quicker decisions on whether a panel is fit for reuse, without requiring extra testing at each change of hands.
“We have other established practices in electronics, batteries and mobile phones, so by acting on these recommendations, Australia can not only mitigate the waste problem but also unlock the maximum benefit of its clean energy investments,” Sandhu said.
“By embracing a structured approach to the repurposing of solar panels, the renewable energy sector can significantly extend the lifecycle of these resources, contributing to a more sustainable, efficient and circular economy.”
Image: Australian Energy Council
National product stewardship
In August 2025, commonwealth, state and territory governments agreed to progress work towards a national product stewardship scheme for solar panels, ensuring they are managed from start to end of life, with the objective of steering panels away from landfill and into remanufacture or recycling programs.
The NSW government said then that annual solar panel waste volumes in Australia are predicted to nearly double over the next five years, from 59,340 tonnes in 2025 to 91,165 tonnes in 2030 but in March 2025, the Australian Energy Council put the figure of cumulative volume of end-of-life solar panels in Australia at 280,000 tonnes by the of 2025.
The Smart Energy Council estimates that around one-third of solar panels could be re-used instead of being thrown away and could contribute up to 24 GW of energy by 2040, enough to power six million homes a year.
Smart Energy Council Chief Executive Officer John Grimes said in August, it’s been a decade since the federal government acknowledged solar panels going into landfill was a problem.
“Now, four million panels are coming off roofs a year with less than 5% being recycled, the time for talk has passed, an immediate first step is a national solar stewardship pilot to keep the industry alive and inform the Regulatory Impact Statement,” Grimes said.
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