Qcells and Greentech Renewables launch solar panel recycling collab in Florida
The EcoRecycle–Greentech collaboration is hopefully just the start of a national end-of-life solar module management model in the DG solar space
The ramp in solar panel recycling efforts continues this month. First, SEIA took over SolarRecycle.org. And this week, a top solar panel manufacturer and distributor announced plans to establish regional recycling hubs across the country, starting in Florida.
Qcells’ recycling division, EcoRecycle, and Greentech Renewables officially launched their joint solar panel recycling program with community collection set up at Greentech’s Tampa and Palmetto distribution centers.
“Effectively managing solar panel waste is essential to the health of the clean energy transition,” said Kelly Weger, Senior Director of Sustainability at Qcells. “Through this collaboration, we are offering customers and communities a no-landfill, truly circular solution that supports their sustainability goals while driving progress for the entire industry.”
The Qcells–Greentech partnership is notable as one of the first attempts to integrate recycling into existing solar logistics infrastructure in the distributed solar space. Qcells is No. 1 in market share in residential panels, while Greentech Renewables maintains a nationwide distribution footprint.
These new sites will accept decommissioned or damaged panels from both professional installers and residential owners — an increasingly urgent need as early-generation systems begin to age out.
From pilot to national network
Qcells says the Florida hubs are only the beginning. The partnership serves as a prototype for a nationwide collection and recycling network, starting with additional expansion across the Southeast.
At full capacity, Qcells’ EcoRecycle facility in White, Georgia, is expected to process up to 500,000 panels per year. The company is positioning the site as the operational anchor of a domestic circular economy for solar components — keeping valuable materials in use and out of landfills.
“With solar distribution centers strategically located across Florida, Greentech Renewables is making it easier for customers of all sizes to participate in this recycling initiative and advance the circular solar economy,” said Hunter David of Greentech Renewables.
Qcells EcoRecycle
Qcells’ EcoRecycle uses a “proprietary high-purity separation processes,” that will recover materials such as glass, aluminum, copper, and silver from decommissioned panels. Those recovered materials will then be reintegrated into Qcells’ U.S. manufacturing operations, closing the loop between recycling and production.
Together, Qcells and Greentech aim to demonstrate a scalable model for sustainable solar decommissioning — one that aligns manufacturing, distribution, and waste management in a single ecosystem.
