Recycling photovoltaic modules: This is how it is financed

Anyone considering purchasing a photovoltaic system is invariably already thinking about its end. After all, the question of how to properly dispose of a solar system must be answered before you decide to buy it.

The disposal of electrical or electronic appliances in Switzerland is regulated by the Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE). This makes manufacturers and importers responsible for disposal. This means that manufacturers and importers are required to accept electrical appliances and return them for recycling when they have reached the end of their useful life.

Established recycling system for solar systems too

An efficient system for disposing of electrical and electronic equipment as well as luminaires and lighting equipment has been established in Switzerland over the past 30 years based on this ordinance. This system is managed by SENS eRecycling.

Swissolar, the Swiss Solar Energy Association, volunteered to join this system in 2013. This ensured that PV modules are also efficiently and reliably disposed of at an early stage, while recycling meets the highest quality standards.

The advance recycling fee finances the collection, transport and recycling of the photovoltaic systems.

Secured financing

The SENS eRecycling system is financed through an advance recycling fee, ARF. This is already included in the purchase price of a PV module. The amount of the ARF is based on the weight of the module (including components such as junction box or cable) and is 4 centimes per kilogram.

The ARF of all solar panels sold goes into a fund managed by SENS eRecycling. The money from this fund is used to finance the whole recycling process. This means that a specialised recycling company is responsible for collecting the PV modules to be disposed of, transporting them to the collection points and properly disposing of them.

So if you are considering buying a photovoltaic system, there is one thing you should know: Once the solar panels have reached the end of their life cycle, you do not incur any additional costs for recycling. This is due to the fact that you have already paid the entire disposal costs when you purchased the system – provided you have purchased your PV system from a specialist installer affiliated with us.

Partner

Disposal ensured
Buy your photovoltaic system from our ARF partners

Discover our affiliated partners now

Does the calculation work?

Finally, a few figures: In 2022, 936 tonnes of PV modules were disposed of through the SENS eRecycling collection network. The total weight of all electrical appliances returned for recycling as a whole was more than 100 times higher in the same period. The amount of PV modules is therefore still very small at less than one per cent, but it is steadily increasing at a faster pace.

And here’s an interesting fact: the total take-back costs for PV modules amount to CHF 440 per tonne. The ARF secures funding of CHF 40 per tonne.

Pardon me? How can such a calculation work? The answer is simple: since solar system sales are still booming, many more PV modules are installed each year than are returned. In 2021, the output of newly installed PV modules was over 60 times higher than the output of panels that were removed. This allows the recycling fund for PV modules to keep accumulating and ensures the financing of the entire take-back system for many years to come.

Photovoltaics