Solar modules are built to last decades, but a system does not stop being useful on the day it stops being new. At the end of its first use, the owner chooses one of four exits, and the four can be worth very different amounts. This page sets out each exit, what the evidence supports, and the recovery rules that apply in the EU and in Chile.
The same paper states that up to 80 % of the PV waste stream concerns replaced products and premature failures, rather than modules at the end of their design life (Tsanakas et al., 2025, p. 2). The first question is whether the modules still have a use, not how to recycle them.
The default while the array still tests well and still earns a positive margin. The number to check is output against nameplate. Across the fleet, the median system performance loss rate is 0.75 % per year, from 4,915 inverters (NREL, PV Fleet Performance Data Initiative, 2025, OSTI 2522744, p. 17). A healthy array can keep earning for years; what ends it is usually a fault or a margin that has turned negative. Government guidance says a good-quality inverter should last at least 10 years if installed properly (Solar Victoria, section 8, “Inverter warranty”), so inverter age belongs in the decision too.
Replace the array and sell the removed modules into the used market. Only modules that pass screening can be sold. One expert estimate says about two-thirds of replaced or prematurely failed modules can be repaired or refurbished and reused (Tsanakas et al., 2025, p. 2). The same paper notes that real-life data on post-triage reuse rates are scarce (p. 4). The used price in our tool is an average of 0.100 US$/W for used modules listed on a US resale exchange in H1 2026 (EnergyBin, H1 2026 PV Module Price Index). It is a US figure, not your market. The EU index we found (Solarserver, with pvXchange) mixes used modules with other stock.
Lower-duty use for modules that pass, in off-grid systems and small loads. The evidence is thin. IEA PVPS Task 12 (2021) describes module reuse as a niche option today, and states that there is no literature or market for prematurely decommissioned panels (PDF p. 11). The IEA PVPS Task 13 report of February 2026 names repowering projects and remote or hard-to-access installations as contexts where reuse can be economically justified. It also calls the second-life market fragmented and underdeveloped, and does not aim to give a comprehensive quantitative assessment of performance.
The exit for modules that fail screening, or for whole arrays with no sound modules left. The Chilean decree states that about 90 % of a panel is made of recyclable materials, such as glass and aluminium (Considerando 25). Recycling still costs money: the processing cost is set against the value of the recovered materials, and under the illustrative defaults in the Route Grader the result is a net cost to the owner. The Material recovery page works through the mass balance.
A system does not reach the end of its first life on one date, and the owner chooses the exit. Two marks help plan for that choice: 15 and 25 years after commissioning. This clock is an age calendar, not a condition assessment. It counts years from the commissioning year and applies published fleet loss rates. It does not inspect the array.
The 15-year mark is the commissioning year plus 15. The 25-year mark is the commissioning year plus 25. The commissioning year is not always the energisation date or the date of a repower, so check the record for your own system.
Enter a year from 1980 to 2026.
The two marks appear here when JavaScript is on.
Two system loss rates from the PV Fleet analysis of Jordan et al. (2022): 0.75 %/yr across all climates (deg-jordan2022-plr-overall) and 0.88 %/yr in hotter climates (deg-jordan2022-plr-climate). Each rate gives a retention at 25 years on a straight-line curve and on a compound curve. The band is calculated when JavaScript is on.
The retention table loads with JavaScript.
For comparison, a high-quality panel is expected to keep at least 80 % of its original rating after 25 years (Solar Victoria, section 8; warranty-05). That is a warranty expectation, not a measured result.
Three single-module specifications from two studies give the weight of modules per kilowatt-peak. This is the weight before dismantling or any losses. The band uses only these three examples.
Module specifications: 18.6 kg at 270 Wp (MM-11), 18 kg at 220 Wp (MM-14) and 22 kg at 215 Wp (MM-12). The band loads with JavaScript.
Both set recovery targets that cover PV waste. Neither one tells an owner which exit to choose.
Context: 48,395 tonnes of PV module waste collected in 18 European countries in 2022 (Eurostat, reported by IEA PVPS Task 12, 2025, executive summary, p. 1).
Reading of the official texts, not reviewed by legal counsel. It is not legal advice. Where the text is open to interpretation, as with the start date of Article 25, we say so.
Decreto Núm. 22, Título III, Párrafo 2°, Artículo 25 (target table). Years as numbered in the article.
| Year | Target (% per Article 25) |
|---|---|
| Years 1 and 2 | 0 % |
| Year 3 | 10 % |
| Year 4 | 14 % |
| Year 5 | 18 % |
| Year 6 | 22 % |
| Year 7 | 28 % |
| Year 8 | 34 % |
| Year 9 | 42 % |
| Year 10 onwards | 50 % |
With JavaScript, this block also shows the stock check, the generation estimate and the start-date reading, all from our Chilean data file. Tonnes by comuna are not shown, and the block says why.
The Route Grader shows a ranking under the assumptions you enter. It does not promise a saving, a return or a sale price.
A browser screen is not a condition assessment and is not certified or audited. Module-level tests, the warranty terms and the contract decide the exit.
We found no verified used-module price for Chile or the EU, and no verified price for off-grid reuse. Market volumes are not measured either: neither PV site decommissioning nor PV resale markets are registered (PV CYCLE and imec/EnergyVille exploratory study, 2021, as reported by pv magazine, 8 March 2021).
The Route Grader runs in your browser. The values you enter are not sent to us and are not stored.
Enter its measurements in the Route Grader. Then bring the result, with the module tests and the contract, to a conversation about the exit.
Open the Route Grader