Frequently Asked Questions

We accept all sizes and types of solar panels, including Cylindrical, Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Thin Film, Bifacial, Concentrator (CPV), and Double Glass. We accept all makes and models, including First Solar and other thin-film panel manufacturers.

Comstock Metals is the only company who can safely and effectively recycle solar panels, and especially thin-film panels!

Our recycling facility in Silver Springs, Nevada serves the U.S., and we accept panels from large-scale utilities, manufacturers, solar waste collectors, and solar project owners.

We prioritize exceedingly safe and compliant handling and transportation from each solar site to our recycling facility in Nevada. Our team organizes and oversees all shipments and provides all the requisite documentation to meet environmental and compliance reporting requirements.

We provide decommissioning, removal, collection, banding, palletization, loading, transportation, logistics, site-restoration, and chain of command reporting. 

• Solar panels, like most electrification products, are characterized by laminated systems. Laminates keep the layers of a panel together. Recycling is limited by laminates. Comstock Metals can separate and recover all of the materials inside a panel and ensure no part of the solar panel winds up in landfills.   

• Without Comstock, other recyclers are forced to downgrade the use of recycled materials to road base or construction materials. Heavy metals will ultimately leach from those uses and present a continued liability from your panels.   

• We don’t have that problem, and each of our flows of recycled materials are commercially reintroduced into the supply chain. That’s circularity.   

• Other recyclers use a mechanical disassembly process. These processes aren’t designed for the utility scale, and they are forced to ultimately send some portion of your panel to landfill. At the worst, they just remove the frames and send the whole rest of the panel to landfill.   

• We make sure you have the documentation to prove you have done the right thing with the right recyclers. Comstock Metals ensures you get the full benefit of transparent, credible recycling efforts.   

End-of-life solar panels come from multiple sources, including:  

• Removing or upgrading solar panel systems  

• Installation breakage  

• Regular maintenance and damage replacements  

• Natural disasters or extreme weather events 

• End of life 

Yes, Comstock Metals has a dedicated and experienced logistics team who will assist you and your on-site teams throughout the job, from Bill of Lading through to Certificate of Destruction.

• Per Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 66273.35 - Accumulation Time Limits, a universal waste handler shall accumulate universal waste for no longer than one year from the date the universal waste was generated 

• If you are approaching a year, and wish to recycle your panels, don't wait! Get in touch and we can help you to compliantly remove them from your site and ship them to us.  

• Utilities and large-scale solar generators / developers   

• O&M service providers   

• Environmental consulting / engineering firms   

• Aggregators and regional waste collectors   

• Solar installers and contractors   

• Municipalities / community groups  

• We can take any panel, any size, any condition, panel components - no restrictions  

• We are the only utility scale solution  

• All recycling done in-house and domestically  

• Demonstrated expertise in decommissioning, re-powering and restoration for solar projects (one stop shop)  

• We never resell or repair your panels, 100% get recycled, meaning you have peace of mind that they’re safely gone and with no heavy metal contamination  

• We help you achieve auditable credibility for your recycling, from recycling metrics on your website, to ESG scoring 
• For a full breakdown of compliance risks associated with end-of-life panels, see our Compliance page.

• We charge up-front tipping fees based on customer waste volume 

• Costs for decommissioning (including transport) are based on the site-specific project (location, scope, volume, labor, and time)

• We offer exclusive recycling provider agreements for utility-scale solar project owners based on their unique needs

Utility-scale solar projects struggle with recycling because most recyclers lack the capacity, logistics infrastructure, and certified processes to handle large volumes responsibly. Many vendors remove aluminum frames and shred the rest sending residual materials downstream to landfill or overseas for disposal. This creates documentation gaps, compliance exposure, and ESG reporting problems. Comstock Metals was engineered specifically for utility-scale volume, with a proprietary zero-landfill process, R2v3/RIOS certification, and national facility coverage