NASHVILLE, Tenn. & OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the nation’s largest independent power producers, and SOLARCYCLE, a tech-driven solar recycling platform, announced today a partnership to process end-of-life solar modules from Silicon Ranch projects through SOLARCYCLE’s advanced, high-recovery recycling platform. SOLARCYCLE’s latest method of module recycling recovers approximately 95% of the value of the solar panel, which can be returned to the supply chain and used to make new panels.
With an operating portfolio of more than 145 solar power facilities across 15 states, Silicon Ranch is SOLARCYCLE’s first utility-scale partner. The partnership between the two companies will allow SOLARCYCLE to establish a model for the recycling of solar materials on a utility scale, the largest segment of the solar market.
The alliance comes at a critical time, as the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act is expected to accelerate demand for solar energy and a domestic solar supply chain. The partnership will help boost the growing U.S. solar manufacturing industry with a domestic supply of recycled materials essential to making new solar panels, including glass, silicon, and precious metals. such as silver, copper, and aluminum. Recent research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that by 2040, for some materials, recycling will meet 25-30% of domestic solar manufacturing needs in the United States.
“As the long-term owner of each project in our portfolio, we at Silicon Ranch are deeply committed to our relationships and responsibilities to the communities we serve. These responsibilities include end-of-life equipment management,” said Reagan Farr, President and CEO of Silicon Ranch. “Taking this opportunity to pioneer recycling and reuse processes at the scale of SOLARCYCLE is an important step in fulfilling these responsibilities. This partnership supports our commitment to the development of domestic solar manufacturing, a circular solar economy, and economic development opportunities in communities across the country. We encourage others in the industry to join us in this meaningful effort.”
Silicon Ranch continues to expand its reach in the solar industry through its holistic Regenerative Energy® approach to project design, construction, and land management, as well as its recent acquisition of a carbon solutions provider that Clearloop. The partnership with SOLARCYCLE will further advance Silicon Ranch’s mission to bring economic development opportunities and affordable carbon solutions to communities across the country.
“The SOLARCYCLE team has taken what we’ve learned in the solar, sustainability, and recycling industries and applied it to our technology-driven recycling solutions. We know that scale is critical to lowering costs and raise quality,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of SOLARCYCLE. “We are thrilled that our partnership with Silicon Ranch—an emerging leader in bringing solar to a sustainable and responsible scale—will help us to make solar across America fully sustainable.”
SOLARCYCLE is currently the only dedicated technology-based recycling company for the solar industry. The company focuses on recycling solar panels to get the maximum amount of materials back into the supply chain, and help build a circular economy for solar. Launched earlier this year, the company is building a state-of-the-art solar panel recycling center, which will open in Q4.
Silicon Ranch pioneered utility-scale solar in the Southeast with the first large-scale solar projects in Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Notably, SOLARCYCLE is the latest domestic infrastructure-supporting partnership acquired by Silicon Ranch. In just the past six months, the company announced new agreements with FirstSolar and Nextracker to improve the carbon footprint of the module and tracker supply, respectively, while supporting further investment in US manufacturing capabilities, and reducing risk in order and logistics throughout solar. life cycle. In turn, these partnerships collectively increase Silicon Ranch’s ability to provide design, construction, and management of a growing base of solar ranches across the country. The company has successfully commissioned every project it has contracted since its inception and further distinguishes itself through its commitment to own and operate each project in its portfolio for the long term. Earlier this year, Silicon Ranch completed a $775 million equity raise led by Manulife Investment Management.
About Silicon Ranch Corporation
Founded in 2011, Silicon Ranch is a fully integrated provider of customized renewable energy, carbon, and battery storage solutions for a diverse set of partners across North America. The company is one of the nation’s largest independent power producers, with a portfolio that includes more than five gigawatts of solar and battery storage systems under contract, construction, or operation across the U.S. and Canada. Silicon Ranch owns and operates every project in its portfolio and maintains an unblemished track record of project execution, having successfully commissioned every project it has contracted in its history. In recognition of its holistic approach to land management, which the company labels Regenerative Energy®, Silicon Ranch was named the 2020 “Most Forward-Thinking” company in the Solar Power World. In 2021, Silicon Ranch acquired Clearloop, which helps businesses of all sizes offset their carbon footprint with direct investment in building new solar projects while expanding access to clean energy. To learn more, visit siliconranch.com, regenerativeenergy.org, and clearloop.us. Follow Silicon Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitterand LinkedIn.
About SOLARCYCLE, Inc.
SOLARCYCLE, Inc (www.SOLARCYCLE.us) is a technology-driven platform designed to leverage solar sustainability by offering solar asset owners an affordable, environmentally friendly, comprehensive process for to recycle retired solar panels and technologies and use them for new uses. . The company’s proprietary technology allows it to extract more than 95% of precious metals such as silver, copper, silicon, low iron glass and aluminum. SOLARCYCLE was founded in 2022 by experts in solar technology, recycling and sustainability to accelerate the construction of the circular economy for solar and renewables.