Silfab Solar has signed an agreement with SolarCycle to purchase ultra-low carbon household glass for its US-made solar panels.
Credit: Silfab
SolarCycle recently announced plans to build a first-of-its-kind factory in Georgia to make new solar glass using recycled materials from old solar panels. SolarCycle’s planned glass factory is about 300 miles from Silfab Solar’s newest factory in South Carolina, which will soon add 1 GW of U.S. cell production and another 1.3 GW of module production.
“SolarCycle is an ideal partner because of its proven success and innovative processes that have already made Silfab a more sustainable company. The use of American-made glass in our PV modules further meets the region’s demand for American content in American-made clean energy products and creates additional American jobs,” said Paolo Maccario, president and CEO of Silfab.
By purchasing SolarCycle’s domestically produced glass, the companies claim they reduce climate impacts caused during production by more than 30% and by shipping by more than 50%.
Crushed glass from a recycled solar panel ready for reuse in new products at SolarCycle’s recycling plant in Odessa, Texas.
“We are pleased to announce Silfab as a lead customer for our ultra-low carbon household glass made in America from recycled solar panels,” said Suvi Sharma, co-founder and CEO of SolarCycle. “This marks an important step in securing an integrated and reliable solar supply chain made in America. We are grateful to Silfab for modeling industry leadership with their deep commitment to advancing sustainability and emissions reductions in the clean energy sector.”
Among many sustainability initiatives, Silfab sends older or poorly performing modules to SolarCycle for recycling. In addition, Silfab also recycles materials left over from the production process.
“Providing clean energy in North America means producing the best-performing and most durable solar panels under the highest environmental and social responsibility standards,” said Ted Ferguson, Silfab’s Director of Sustainability. “Sustainability has been embedded in Silfab’s values and activities since the company’s founding more than 40 years ago.”