SPR scales up solar panel recycling with new plant and thermal separation tech
Addition of fourth advanced recycling technology expands U.S. processing to 2.5M panels annually as new state mandates take effect
SPR (SolarPanelRecycling.com) is tripling its solar recycling capacity in North Carolina, adding a 50,000-sq-ft processing plant and a fourth advanced recycling technology to its Salisbury headquarters. The expansion boosts throughput at the site from 500,000 to 1.5 million panels per year, on top of another 1 million panel capacity already in operation at facilities in Texas and Georgia.
The announcement comes as demand for utility-scale decommissioning rises and states such as North Carolina prepare to enforce new recycling mandates. Beginning November 1, 2025, projects over 2 MW in the state must submit decommissioning plans, secure financial assurances for recycling, and meet environmental recovery standards. SPR says its expanded campus and in-house compliance team are designed to give asset owners both the scale and regulatory expertise to meet these obligations.
Fourth technology enhances purity of recovered materials
This latest investment includes the introduction of thermal separation processing, SPR’s fourth distinct recycling method. Earlier this year, the company became the first in the nation to bring bifacial panel recycling to utility scale, complementing two other separation techniques already in use. By combining multiple approaches, SPR says it can maximize recovery rates and deliver higher-quality commodity outputs across a wide variety of panel types.
“We are not storing panels or output for future ideas,” said Brett C. Henderson, CEO of SPR. “Our customers know that we are recycling at scale right now, with verifiable consumers of our clean outputs.”
Industry support for scale and compliance
Utility-scale decommissioning firms welcomed the move. “Our asset owners are facing increasing obligations to responsibly manage end-of-life panels,” said Justin Wright, executive vice president of RCI Energy Services. “SPR’s advanced recycling technology and increased capacity give us confidence that we can meet these requirements cost-effectively while supporting the broader shift to a cleaner, more resilient grid.”
SPR currently operates the largest distributed network of owned and operated solar recycling plants in the U.S., with additional sites planned for 2026. The company emphasizes that scaling its geographic footprint also cuts transportation costs and emissions—two often-overlooked factors in the lifecycle of utility-scale solar projects.
SPR will showcase its expanded capabilities at RE+ 2025 in Las Vegas, booth V10339.
