How to Dispose of Solar Panels (It's Complicated)

What happens when your solar investment reaches the end of its life, and why this moment is a bigger opportunity than most people realize

A lot of businesses went solar for all the right reasons. You wanted to reduce energy costs, shrink your environmental footprint, and show that your company is thinking long term. That all makes sense, and we see it as  a really positive step when it's done thoughtfully for all of those reasons.

What almost never comes up during those early conversations, though, is what happens at the other end of the lifecycle. We usually hear about it years later, when panels start underperforming, a facility is being sold, or someone asks a very simple question that turns out not to have a simple answer: “What are we supposed to do with these panels when they’re done?”

That question is coming up more and more. And the truth is, there is no single, clean answer right now. If you already have solar panels or you are planning to install them, this is a conversation worth having sooner rather than later. If you want help thinking it through, you can always reach out to us at RMA here. We'll walk you through your options in plain English.

Table of Contents

• Quick Disclaimer: Residential vs. Commercial Solar
• The Problem: Solar panels don't last forever, and disposal isn't as simple as it sounds.
• The Obligations & Opportunities: Solar panel disposal rules aren't consistent (yet)!
• The Fork in The Road: Dealing with Disposal Now vs. Planning Ahead
• Why Waiting for "Clear Rules" is a Mistake
• How Businesses Are Handling this Now (The Right Way)
• How to Get Help with Solar Panel Recycling

Quick Disclaimer: Residential vs. Commercial Solar

If you’re a homeowner with rooftop solar, your situation is usually much more straightforward than what we’re going to be discussing here. Residential solar systems tend to be smaller, easier to manage, and are often handled through installer programs, manufacturer take-back options, or local recycling initiatives. Because the volume is low and the risk profile is different, homeowners rarely face the same level of regulatory scrutiny or long-term liability as business installations. If you’re a homeowner or landlord, we’d recommend starting with your local or state waste management website to see what residential solar panel disposal and recycling options are available where you live.

This article is intentionally focused on commercial and industrial solar installations, where size, scale, and ownership complexity introduce compliance challenges that simply don’t exist at the residential level. Once you’re dealing with large systems, multiple locations, or long-term asset management, solar panel end-of-life becomes a financial planning and risk management issue, not just a disposal question.

The Problem: Solar panels don't last forever, and disposal isn't as simple as it sounds.

Most solar panels are designed to last somewhere in the range of 25 to 30 years. After that, they need to be removed, recycled, or disposed of properly. That is where a lot of assumptions start to fall apart.

Solar energy is clean, but solar panels themselves are not harmless waste. They contain valuable materials like aluminum, copper, and silver, which makes recycling possible and worthwhile. They also contain some nasty components that can create environmental issues if they are landfilled or mishandled. That means disposal can trigger waste requirements, documentation obligations, and potential liability if it's done incorrectly.

We've seen businesses assume this would be easy, only to find out their waste hauler will not take the panels or their landfill will not accept them. By the time that happens, the options are usually fewer and more expensive than expected.

The Obligations & Opportunities: Solar panel disposal rules aren't consistent (yet)!

One of the biggest reasons this feels so confusing is because there is no clear, nationwide rule for solar panel disposal right now. The EPA has been working toward classifying solar panels as “universal waste,” which would create consistent federal standards for recycling and handling. But those rules have been delayed until at least 2027.

In the meantime, states are stepping in and filling the gap in very different ways. And this is where you start to see just how scattered things are. For example:

• New Jersey allows solar panel recycling through an RD&D (Research, Development, and Demonstration) approval, which functions more like a pilot program for responsible recycling.
• California has already classified solar panels as universal waste, creating a clearer and more streamlined process for disposal and recycling.
• Washington State has gone a step further, requiring manufacturers to collect and recycle used panels at no cost to consumers.
• Other states, including Oregon, North Carolina, and Minnesota are actively developing or expanding their own solar waste rules and programs right now.

So, depending on where your facilities are located, you might already have obligations you don't realize you have, or opportunities you're completely missing. It really is all over the place right now.

The Fork in The Road: Dealing with Disposal Now vs. Planning Ahead

When we talk with clients about solar panel disposal, they almost always fall into one of two situations.

The first group has solar panels that need to be dealt with right now. Maybe a system is being decommissioned, replaced, damaged, or tied to a property transaction. In those cases, options can feel limited, especially if there was no advance planning. But even here, this moment can work in your favor. Because federal rules are not fully locked in yet, you may have more flexibility than you will in the future. In the right circumstances, panels can be recycled instead of landfilled, regulatory exposure can be reduced, and in some cases, materials can even be recovered for value. It's not necessarily easy, but it is possible when handled correctly.

The second group is planning ahead. Their panels are still working, but they know end-of-life is coming eventually. This is where the biggest opportunity exists. Right now, you have the ability to build a thoughtful plan without the pressure of an emergency. That includes understanding how rules are evolving, identifying likely recycling or disposal pathways, and creating a primary plan with backups. That backup planning matters, because decommissioning doesn't always happen on the timeline you expect. Panels fail early. Projects get delayed. Properties change hands.

Having a plan that accounts for sooner, later, or unexpected removal puts you in control instead of reaction mode.

Why Waiting for "Clear Rules" is a Mistake

It might not feel like it, but the fact that rules are still evolving creates a window for smart planning. Waiting until federal standards are finalized may mean stricter requirements, fewer options, and higher costs. Acting now allows you to take advantage of existing programs, emerging recycling markets, and more flexible pathways.

We see this across environmental compliance all the time. Companies that plan early have more choices, lower costs, and fewer surprises. Companies that wait usually end up reacting under pressure.

How Businesses Are Handling this Now (The Right Way)

The companies handling solar panel end-of-life well aren’t trying to become experts in solar recycling rules themselves overnight. Whether they’re dealing with panels now or planning for the future, they’re bringing in someone whose job it is to track the regulations, understand the gray areas, and translate all of it into a plan that actually works.

That’s where an environmental consultant comes in. The easiest way to think about it is like hiring an accountant for your taxes. You could try to keep up with every rule, exception, and change yourself, but it’s time-consuming, easy to get wrong, and rarely the best use of your energy. An environmental consultant takes a lot of the work off your plate for a relatively small investment in the grand scheme of things.

At RMA, this is exactly what we do. When it comes to solar panel end-of-life, we help businesses turn uncertainty into a clear, documented plan. Depending on whether you’re dealing with panels now or planning for the future, that typically looks like:

• Understanding your footprint
  We start by looking at where your solar systems are located, how large they are, and whether you’re dealing with a single site or multiple states, because location drives the rules.
• Clarifying what regulations apply today
  We identify which state and local requirements apply right now, and where you may be operating in a gray area that needs to be handled carefully.
• Evaluating disposal and recycling options
  If panels need to come out now, we help assess viable recycling or disposal pathways, vendor requirements, documentation needs, and potential opportunities to recover value where possible.
• Building a forward-looking end-of-life plan
  For companies planning ahead, we help map anticipated decommissioning timelines, preferred disposal routes, and backup options if panels need to be removed sooner or later than expected.
• Documenting a defensible approach
  We help you put a plan on paper so you’re not relying on institutional memory or guesswork if questions come up later from regulators, auditors, or internal stakeholders.
• Tracking changes as the rules evolve
  Because this space is changing, we help clients revisit and adjust their plans over time instead of being caught off guard when new requirements roll out.

The goal is pretty simple: to make sure you’re not guessing, not scrambling at the last minute, and not taking on unnecessary risk. The businesses handling solar panel end-of-life well are treating it like any other environmental compliance issue: get the right help, make a plan, and revisit it as the landscape changes. That’s what we help our clients do every day.

How to Get Help with Solar Panel Recycling

In plain terms, solar panels don’t last forever, and hoping this will be someone else’s problem later is not much of a plan. The good news is you don’t need to have all the answers or understand every regulation to handle this the right way. You just need to know when it makes sense to ask for help.

That’s where an environmental consultant comes in, and that’s what we are at RMA. We’re regular people who spend our days helping businesses navigate environmental rules that are complicated, evolving, and frankly, not designed to be intuitive. We’re not here to scare you, upsell you, or make this bigger than it needs to be. Our job is to help you figure out what actually applies to your situation and whether you even need help at all.

If you reach out to us, here’s what that usually looks like. You’ll talk to a real person, either on the phone or over email. We’ll ask some straightforward questions about your solar setup, things like where your facilities are, how big the system is, how old the panels are, and whether you’re dealing with disposal now or planning ahead. From there, we’ll be honest with you. If this is something you can handle internally or don’t need help with yet, we’ll tell you that. We’re not in the business of wasting your time or ours.

If it is something we can help with, we’ll walk you through what support would look like, whether that’s evaluating disposal options, building an end-of-life plan, or helping you document a defensible approach as rules continue to change. We'll also give you a ballpark idea of what that kind of help would cost. No pressure or hard sell, just a clear explanation of your options so you can decide what makes sense for your business. If you decide to move forward, we’ll put everything in writing with a clear scope and final price. Once that’s signed, we’re officially on your team.

That’s really it. Solar panel recycling and disposal is complicated, and it’s okay not to want to untangle it on your own. The companies that handle this well are the ones that ask questions early, get clear answers, and don’t wait until they’re backed into a corner. If this sounds like where you’re at, you can reach out to us here to talk through your solar situation and see what makes sense next.