Odessa, TX – May 13, 2025 — SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar panel recycling company, today announced it has signed a Recycling Services Agreement with RWE Clean Energy, the third largest renewable energy company in America. The partnership ensures that solar panels from many of RWE’s solar energy projects will be sustainably recycled at the end of their operational life, supporting RWE’s commitment to building a circular and zero-waste solar economy in the United States while working to ensure America’s growing energy demand.
RWE conducted a rigorous selection process before choosing SOLARCYCLE as a recycling partner. Panels from RWE’s West of the Pecos solar facility in Texas were transported to SOLARCYCLE’s Odessa facility where the recycling process was closely evaluated and audited. Independent third-party laboratory testing confirmed the high purity levels of recovered materials, including lead-free glass and metals at industry-leading purity standards.
"We applaud RWE’s commitment to the circular economy, as demonstrated through their extensive quality testing. RWE has a sophisticated understanding of solar panel recycling and knows the right questions to ask. We encourage everyone in the solar industry to insist on these high standards for recycling and back it up with extensive third-party testing,” said Jesse Simons, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of SOLARCYCLE.
SOLARCYCLE’s proprietary technology, protected by dozens of patents and developed in its state-of-the-art research and development facilities, extracts up to 95% of a panel’s value—including aluminum, silver, copper, silicon, and glass. This level of purity enables the company to return the critical materials back into domestic supply chains to support U.S. manufacturing. With three large facilities in Arizona, Texas, and Georgia, SOLARCYCLE provides national coverage to support RWE’s growing operational asset base in the U.S.
Already, SOLARCYCLE has processed nearly 500,000 panels—more than any other recycler in North America—and is on track to recycle 1 million panels by the end of 2025. RWE joins more than 90 leading energy companies that have chosen SOLARCYCLE as their recycling partner.
In 2024, RWE and SOLARCYCLE partnered on successful recycling projects at RWE’s Alamo 7, West of the Pecos and Big Star sites, with plans to continue and expand the collaboration into 2025 and beyond.
RWE in the U.S.
Through its subsidiary RWE Clean Energy, RWE is the third largest renewable energy company in the United States, with a presence in most U.S. states from coast to coast. RWE’s team of about 2,000 employees in the U.S. stands ready to help meet the nation’s growing energy needs. With its homegrown and fastest-to-market product, RWE supports the goal of American Energy dominance and independence. To that end, RWE Clean Energy is committed to increasing its already strong asset base of over 10 gigawatts of operating wind, solar and battery projects, focusing on providing high-quality jobs. RWE invests in local and rural communities while strengthening domestic manufacturing supporting the renaissance of American industry. This is complemented by RWE’s energy trading business. RWE is also a major offtaker of American liquified natural gas (LNG).
As an energy company with a successful history spanning more than 125 years, RWE has an extensive knowledge of the energy markets and an excellent expertise in all major power generation and storage technologies, from nuclear, coal and gas to hydro, batteries, wind and solar.
About SOLARCYCLE
SOLARCYCLE is leading the growth of the circular economy for solar in America. The company partners with the world’s largest asset owners and manufacturers to recycle solar panels, recover valuable materials, and make key components for the next generation of solar panels and clean energy products. Through its circular economy solutions, SOLARCYCLE enhances the sustainability and resiliency of the solar supply chain in the US. Learn more at www.SOLARCYCLE.us.
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