E-Paper
How much does it cost to recycle a solar module in India?
This paper is authored by Ajinkya Kale and Akanksha Tyagi, CEEW, New Delhi.
India is projected to generate approximately 11,221 kilotonnes (kt) of cumulative solar PV module waste by 2047 (Tyagi et al. 2025). Such high volumes of waste pose a significant challenge for waste management in the country. At the same time, India is rapidly expanding its solar manufacturing ecosystem including modules, cells, wafers, and polysilicon. This in turn increases the demand for raw materials, most of which are currently imported. A circular economy approach, which involves recycling solar PV modules, can help address these twin issues of waste management and rising material demand. A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shows that recycling solar module waste can address approximately 60% of the demand for silicon, 50% for aluminium, 44% for copper, 40% for glass, 38% for silver, 15% for tellurium, and 13% for cadmium by 2047 (Tyagi et al. 2025). This would reduce the dependence on material imports and support domestic production for raw materials required for solar PV manufacturing.
However, the commercial recycling of solar PV modules is still in its early stages worldwide, with only a few recyclers operating in countries such as Germany, Italy, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and US. The main challenges include the lack of local markets for secondary materials, problems associated with reverse logistics, and the limited potential of current recycling technologies, leading to high costs and low revenues (IEA PVPS 2022).
In India, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has launched an innovation challenge to support the development and demonstration of various circular strategies (MNRE 2025). Furthermore, numerous research and development initiatives in recycling technologies, led by multiple research institutions and industry players, are ongoing (Prasad et al. 2023, First Solar 2025). These institutes have developed technologies capable of recovering minerals such as silicon, silver, and copper from solar modules (D. C. Sah 2022, D. C. Sah 2023).
First Solar, a leading manufacturer of thin-film solar methodology modules, has established an in-house recycling facility at its manufacturing plant in Chennai, India, with an annual processing capacity of 9,514 tonnes.
While these developments serve to establish a solar module recycling industry in India, the industry’s growth remains constrained. One of the primary obstacles is a lack of robust assessments in India of the financial requirements and potential returns of operating a commercial-scale recycling plant. Having a clear understanding of the costs and revenues can empower stakeholders to make informed decisions and support the growth of this emerging industry.
This study presents a first-of-its-kind financial analysis of solar module recycling in India, including a detailed assessment of the various costs and financial benefits. The assessment is designed to support the government and private sector in developing effective policy and market instruments to promote the recycling of PV modules. The findings can also aid in designing suitable incentives for the solar module recycling market to support private-sector players in developing workable business models. Ultimately, this comprehensive and comparative assessment aims to inform research and investment in scaling up efficient recycling technologies.
This paper can be accessed here.
This paper is authored by Ajinkya Kale and Akanksha Tyagi, CEEW, New Delhi.
