Sungrow Powers Northern Rivers Solar Recycling Facility with Battery Storage System
Sungrow, a global provider of photovoltaic (PV) inverters and energy storage systems, has partnered with ReSolve Global, a solar panel recycling facility in Australia’s Northern Rivers region, to support the development of local recycling infrastructure and advance the country’s clean energy transition. Through the partnership, Sungrow has sponsored a solar battery storage system and inverter to help power ReSolve Global’s operations using clean, self-generated electricity.
The collaboration addresses an increasingly important challenge facing Australia’s renewable energy industry: managing solar panels and associated equipment once they reach the end of their operational lives. As rooftop solar installations continue to expand across residential, commercial and industrial properties, the volume of equipment requiring collection, assessment, reuse and recycling is also expected to increase.
Australia’s growing solar industry has delivered significant environmental and economic benefits by allowing households and businesses to generate electricity from renewable sources. However, the increasing number of installations also creates a need for appropriate end-of-life management. Developing effective systems for recovering used solar panels and extracting reusable materials will be important to maintaining the long-term sustainability of the sector.
The NSW Government has recently announced consultation on Australia’s first mandatory solar panel product stewardship scheme. The proposed initiative aims to establish arrangements that ensure solar panels reaching the end of their useful lives are appropriately recovered, reused and recycled rather than being sent to landfill. As discussions around the scheme progress, local facilities with the capacity to collect, process and manage retired equipment are expected to play an important role in supporting its implementation.
ReSolve Global has established a 2,000-square-metre holding and sorting facility designed to manage used solar panels and other renewable energy equipment. Located in the Northern Rivers region, the facility provides infrastructure for collecting, recording, assessing and sorting equipment received for potential reuse or recycling.
Through these activities, ReSolve Global aims to prevent usable solar equipment and valuable materials from being unnecessarily discarded. Its approach prioritises identifying opportunities for reuse where equipment remains suitable, while ensuring that materials from products that cannot be reused are directed towards responsible recovery and recycling processes.
The facility is intended to contribute to a more organised approach to solar equipment recovery as Australia’s renewable energy market continues to mature. By establishing local collection and sorting capabilities, ReSolve Global is helping address the practical requirements associated with managing the growing volume of retired solar equipment.
Ben Pietzsch, Director of ReSolve Global, said the solar industry must take responsibility for equipment removed from rooftops as well as the benefits delivered through renewable electricity generation.
He explained that the organisation aims to develop a transparent and practical system that prioritises reuse whenever appropriate and ensures remaining materials are responsibly recovered. The facility’s operations are intended to support a more sustainable approach to solar equipment management while creating opportunities to recover resources that can potentially be returned to productive use.
To support the facility’s electricity requirements, Sungrow has sponsored a 20-kilowatt-hour SBH battery storage system and a 10-kilowatt SH10RS inverter. The equipment will allow ReSolve Global to operate using clean, self-generated solar electricity, reducing its dependence on conventional grid power.
The sponsored system combines battery storage technology with an intelligent energy management solution. It enables the facility to store surplus electricity generated by its solar installation and use that stored energy when required. This arrangement helps improve the utilisation of renewable electricity by making stored power available beyond periods of immediate solar generation.
The Sungrow SBH battery works alongside the company’s hybrid energy storage technology to support the facility’s daily electricity requirements. The 10-kilowatt SH10RS single-phase inverter converts solar-generated electricity into usable power for operational activities.
Electricity supplied through the system can support different aspects of the facility’s operations, including equipment, lighting and administrative activities. By combining solar generation with battery storage, ReSolve Global can better manage its electricity consumption and reduce the amount of power it needs to obtain from the grid.
The installation is also expected to help lower operating expenses and reduce emissions associated with the facility’s electricity consumption. For a business focused on recovering renewable energy equipment, using solar power and storage technology within its own operations provides a practical demonstration of how clean energy infrastructure can support circular-economy activities.
Sungrow said its involvement reflects the importance of considering the complete life cycle of renewable energy equipment. While solar technology plays an increasingly important role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, the industry must also develop responsible solutions for managing equipment after it reaches the end of its useful life.
Richard Chen, C&I Business Development Manager at Sungrow, said the company was proud to support ReSolve Global and its work in establishing a more sustainable approach to solar equipment recovery.
He noted that solar energy has transformed electricity generation for Australian households and businesses, making responsible equipment management an important consideration for the industry. By supplying the battery storage system and inverter for ReSolve Global’s Tyagarah facility, Sungrow is helping demonstrate how recycling operations can also be powered by renewable energy.
Chen added that the partnership represents a meaningful step towards developing a circular solar industry and expressed hope that the initiative would encourage other businesses to adopt similar approaches.
The collaboration brings together Sungrow’s experience in PV technology and energy storage with ReSolve Global’s local recovery infrastructure and knowledge of solar equipment management. Sungrow contributes technology and more than two decades of experience in the renewable energy sector, while ReSolve Global provides practical collection, assessment, sorting and recovery capabilities.
Both organisations see cooperation between technology manufacturers and recycling specialists as an important part of developing sustainable solutions across the renewable energy supply chain. Such partnerships can help connect equipment production and deployment with responsible recovery practices, ensuring that end-of-life management receives greater attention as the industry expands.
The initiative also has potential regional benefits for the Northern Rivers community. Establishing local recycling infrastructure can support the development of specialised skills, employment opportunities and additional circular-economy activities. It may also help strengthen regional capabilities in managing renewable energy equipment while contributing to broader sustainability objectives.
Tamara Smith MP of Ballina highlighted the Northern Rivers region’s commitment to sustainability and responsible resource use. She welcomed the local initiative, noting that it demonstrates how regional innovation can create opportunities for new skills, jobs and circular-economy development.
Looking ahead, Sungrow plans to continue supporting ReSolve Global as the organisation expands its activities. The companies also intend to work with the wider renewable energy industry to advance practical and sustainable approaches to managing solar panels and other equipment at the end of their operational lives.
As Australia’s solar market continues to grow, the partnership highlights the importance of developing infrastructure that supports not only renewable electricity generation but also equipment recovery and material reuse. By combining local recycling capabilities with clean energy technology, Sungrow and ReSolve Global aim to contribute to a more sustainable and circular solar industry.
Source Link: https://www.sungrowpower.com/
