Terrepower opens solar panel recycling facility in Tennessee

Terrepower, the recycling division of BBB Industries and Ontility, has opened its solar panel recycling line at its facility in Sparta, Tennessee.

The Terrepower facility offers complete separation of solar panel materials such as aluminum, glass, precious metals, silicon, plastic and components. This process should allow for more efficient offloading of materials for reuse.

“We can reduce environmental waste by getting the most value out of the original component before it’s recycled,” said Maria Caballero, President of Terrepower. “With the addition of our fully automated recycling machine, it now enables us to address the solar waste issue while complementing our existing sustainable manufacturing process.”

The Sparta facility is currently capable of handling up to 160,000 solar panels per year for recycling. As the company ramps up operations and additional recycling projects emerge, this capacity is expected to increase significantly in the next few years.

“Our goal is to divert solar waste from landfills and utilize waste streams efficiently,” said Caballero. “Bringing recycling in-house allows us to service our customers under one roof while significantly scaling up our recycling efforts.”

In the past year alone, Terrepower recycled more than 2,000,000 pounds of solar panels through partnerships, equivalent to roughly 40,000 panels. With the introduction of in-house recycling, Terrepower aims to recycle 8,000,000 pounds of solar waste annually, further bolstering its environmental impact. The company currently can handle all types of silicon solar panels, and Terrepower collaborates with various partners to repurpose separated materials, including glass for construction and aluminum for local applications.

News item from Terrepower