UNAM, Solarever Partner to Reduce Solar Panel Waste

UNAM’s School of Engineering and Solarever have partnered to mitigate the environmental impact of solar panels that reach the end of their lifecycle. This collaboration focuses on developing techniques to recover and reuse up to 80% of key materials from these devices, helping to reduce electronic waste and promote a circular economy in the solar sector.

The growing demand for solar panels in Mexico represents an environmental challenge, as weather-related wear can reduce their efficiency and turn them into waste. Although these panels are a clean energy source, recycling them remains complex due to the need to manage materials like silicon, aluminum, copper, and potentially toxic substances.

José Negrete, from UNAM’s Institute of Materials Research, emphasized that the project aims to implement innovative technologies for waste management. In the medium and long term, it seeks to develop scalable physical-chemical processes for material recovery.

Paola Zagal, R&D Coordinator, Solarever, highlighted the importance of synergy between academia and industry, which enables the creation of multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive solutions and minimize environmental impact while complying with current regulations.