The large-scale retirement wave of photovoltaic systems is coming, with companies rushing into the photovoltaic recycling sector.

Our country’s photovoltaic installation capacity has ranked first in the world for consecutive years. As early photovoltaic modules gradually reach their service life, a large-scale decommissioning wave is imminent. A person in charge of a photovoltaic panel recycling company in Changzhou, Jiangsu, told reporters that the main profit from photovoltaic panel recycling comes from the sale of recycled materials. Because dismantling and environmental protection costs are relatively fixed, the larger the scale, the lower the overall cost, and the higher the gross profit margin. Staff members explained: “Cost also depends on your scale effect, roughly around 600 yuan per ton, and the current gross profit margin is about 20%.” The reporter learned that the photovoltaic panels currently dismantled by the company mainly come from defective products produced by photovoltaic companies and panels damaged by natural disasters at photovoltaic power stations. Industry insiders said that China’s photovoltaic industry started around 2005. Based on a panel design lifespan of 20 to 25 years, starting from 2026, there will be a large-scale wave of photovoltaic equipment decommissioning. Several companies are also accelerating their layout to further increase recycling and processing capacity. (CCTV Finance)