Time is ticking rapidly towards climate-related sustainability goals. And as companies race against the clock to accelerate circular processes and transition to green energy, solar panel recycling company Solarcycle is expanding its services to meet growing demand.
The Arizona-based company announced plans to invest $62 million to expand solar panel recycling capacity in Polk County, Georgia, to 10 million a year, according to the state's Governor Brian Kemp. .
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The facility will be located across from SolarCycle's previously announced 1.1 million square foot solar glass factory, creating an additional 640 jobs in addition to the 617 already needed to staff the location. Ru. Kemp said the glass factory will produce 5 to 6 gigawatts worth of new solar glass each year using recycled materials from the recycling facility, and SolarCycle will be the first in specialty glass for crystalline silicon (C-Si). Become one of the only manufacturers in Domestic solar power generation.
The recycling facility will eventually have the capacity to recycle and recover material from 10 million solar panels each year, and will be able to process up to 30 percent of the nation's used solar panels by 2030 . SolarCycle said it will have the capacity to recycle 2 million panels when it launches in the second half of 2025, and that number will expand in the coming years.
“As Georgia continues to lead the nation in attracting jobs from emerging industries, we are grateful that SolarCycle is advancing the creation of these opportunities in Northwest Georgia, benefiting the entire region’s economy. “There are,” Kemp said Monday. “I want to thank our local and state partners for making this accelerated growth possible for Polk County, and I look forward to its impact in the years to come.”
According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, Georgia ranks among the top 10 states in the U.S. for solar installations and ranks seventh in cumulative solar capacity. According to the governor, the Peach State is bullish on accelerating the development of renewable energy products through investments in its infrastructure network.
Suvi Sharma, co-founder and CEO of SolarCycle, said, “I applaud Governor Kemp's leadership in championing clean energy policies.”
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He added that partnerships with local governments and the growing demand for solar recycling and domestic manufacturing “will allow us to expand and start hiring sooner than originally planned.”
“By expanding recycling and solar glass manufacturing through a vertically integrated process, we are filling a critical gap in the U.S. solar supply chain and closing the loop on domestic solar manufacturing,” the CEO said in October. said.
Sharma said the company is building an existing solar glass manufacturing facility in Cedartown, Ga., adjacent to a solar glass manufacturing facility already under construction in the Cedartown North Business Park, which is poised to accelerate Georgia's development. A (GRAD) certified site with a 255,000 square foot building acquired for recycling operations.
SolarCycle said the facility is expected to be operational by next fall and is already looking to hire additional staff in full-time manufacturing, engineering, management, research, design and support roles.
Chris Thomas, president and CEO of the Polk County Development Authority, an independent economic development organization, said the company's circular mission is to renovate vacant properties and create new job opportunities for the region. He praised the emphasis. “This expansion not only confirms the confidence companies have in our community as an investment destination, but also promises significant economic benefits,” he said.
Pat Wilson, Georgia Department of Economic Development Secretary, said the group's technology is essential to moving toward a circular economy. “This is because we can effectively reduce our dependence on imports.” material. ”
“Northwest Georgia has supported Georgia for decades, from providing the flooring we use in our homes and offices to now producing clean energy technology to power those same buildings. It was a manufacturing center,” he said. “We are excited that our partners and SolarCycle were able to work together to bring the company's recycling operations online faster.”
Recently, American brands and companies operating in the United States have turned to solar power and green energy to offset their carbon impact. Last month, Swedish fast fashion giant H&M signed a power purchase agreement that will allow it to build a new solar power plant in Texas. Meanwhile, Tapestry, the owner of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, announced last fall that it is working with renewable solar power provider Pivot Energy to recognize the 15-year impact generated by six community solar projects in Illinois. We have entered into an agreement to purchase renewable energy credits (RECs).
