Solar panel recycling in Australia: options, cost and rules

Where to start depends on whether the panels are still on the roof, already down, damaged or part of a large job.

Since 1 July 2019, Victoria has banned e-waste, including solar panels, from landfill. So plan for the old system when you plan the new one. Ask the contractor where their job ends and who takes the panels next. "Taken away" is not enough of an answer.

Rules and programs change. Check the current guidance for your date, location and type of job. Household program rules do not always apply to business jobs.

The Australian Government runs a National Solar Panel Recycling Pilot. That does not mean every home or business has a free local collection now.

Check whether a working service covers your area, panel type, quantity and timing. Do not book roof work around a collection point that has not confirmed it will take your load.

The government's replace and recycle guidance is another good starting point for system owners.

Solar Victoria names specialist Victorian options, including Elecsome, Lotus Recycling and Sircel. Contact them first, as none will take an unbooked delivery of every panel type.

Councils vary. Boroondara's facility takes many electronics but not solar panels. That is why "solar panel disposal near me" needs a panel-specific check.

Ask your own council whether it has a solar collection or can refer you.

For a Melbourne business, Crex can collect panels that are already down. We need the panel count, condition and loading details. Electrical work and roof access are not included.

Cost depends on the work involved, not just the number of panels. Panels stacked on a pallet are a very different job from panels still on a roof. Check what each quote covers.

A panel makes electricity whenever light hits it. A qualified contractor must disconnect it and take it off the roof. Flicking one switch is not enough.

Book collection after the roof work is finished.

Never strip frames, remove junction boxes or break glass to fit panels in a vehicle. It is dangerous and can get the load turned away.

If panels have been through fire, flood or a heavy impact, say so. A photo of the front may not show the damage.

Ask the collector how they want panels packed before you stack them. Use pallets that suit the panel size, and strap them as agreed.

Keep broken panels apart from intact ones. Never put loose metal or batteries on top of a stack. Photograph the load and any damage.

Tell us the pallet sizes, whether a forklift and driver will be there, and whether a truck can reach the panels. If anything changes, tell us before the truck is sent.

An "old solar system" can include several different things. List panels, inverters, mounting rails, cables and batteries separately.

A battery bank needs its own check of type, condition and disconnection. Do not add it to a panel quote as just another box.

If anything is still hardwired, have the contractor decide what can come off.

A panel that still works is not automatically safe to install again. A qualified person must check its electrical safety and condition, and whether it suits the new system.

Before giving panels to someone else, confirm you own them and that they want the actual panels. If they cannot be used safely, send them for recycling. Do not leave them in storage for years in case someone wants them.

Ask whether the company recycles the panels itself or collects them for another site. Ask which panel types and conditions it takes.

A general green statement or an industry recycling rate tells you nothing about your own panels. Ask the questions that matter for your job.

Before ordering new equipment, confirm who owns the old system and who approves its removal. Check any lease, maintenance or finance agreements.

When planning, bring together the contractor, lifting provider, site manager and collector. Book the staging area and loading time. Agree who supplies pallets and who counts the panels.

Installers with a regular flow of panels should keep each customer's job labelled before panels are packed together.

Send the suburb, panel count, rough size and condition. Say whether the panels are already down and whether batteries or inverters are included. Include photos of the panels and the access route.

Tell us about forklift or crane access, loading limits and when you need collection. If panels are not down yet, give the date the contractor expects to finish.