OnePlanet Solar Recycling, a startup based in Jacksonville, Florida, is addressing the environmental concern of broken solar panels piling up in landfills following hurricanes. The company has secured $7 million in funding to develop what aims to be the first solar recycling facility of its kind, the River City project, which will have a total budget of $90 million. The facility will process broken solar panels to extract valuable metals like copper and aluminum, especially vital as tariffs on imports are raising material costs. OnePlanet plans to complete the first phase of construction by 2027 and eventually expand its capacity to recycle 6 million panels annually by 2030.
OnePlanet’s innovative recycling process involves utilizing existing technology with a proprietary methodology for sorting panels by type and condition, optimizing resource recovery through advanced AI and sensors. The firm’s design seeks to achieve a high recovery rate of up to 97% for metals while minimizing impurities that complicate recycling. The initiative is bolstered by a $14.5 million investment from the Department of Energy, alongside private funding from Khasma Capital. Despite uncertainties surrounding tariffs and the political environment, OnePlanet aims to be a key player in domestic solar recycling, providing a sustainable source of materials crucial for future solar energy systems.