Circular Solar Grants - Phase 2

To prepare for the emerging waste stream created by solar panels, the Circular solar grant program supports collaborative ‘whole-of-supply chain’ projects that trial managing end-of-life solar panels and/or battery systems within a circular economy framework.

A total of $7 million is available in Phase 2 of the Circular Solar grants program for eligible projects. Funding is available as a single stream. Project proposals can only be submitted under one of the three categories with the following funding request caps:

1. New infrastructure and expansions - up to $3.5 million
2. Research and development for reuse, second hand or refurbished items, and market development for recovered materials - $100,000 to $1 million
3. Collection and recovery logistics - $500,000 to $1 million

Priorities under this program are to:

• reduce solar panel and associated battery waste entering landfill in NSW
• promote circular economy models for managing waste at end-of-life
• increase the capability and capacity of industry to recover and reprocess end-of-life solar panels and associated large energy storage system batteries.
• improve the recyclability/reusability/refurbish potential by using high-value recovery and/or processing technologies
• develop secondary markets for resources recovered from solar panels and batteries
• update standards for reuse of solar panel and battery systems that are still functioning efficiently after being decommissioned
• grow cost-effective recovery logistic models
• partnerships that deliver end-to-end solutions across the whole supply chain
• create immediate and ongoing job creation and economic activity