U.S. photovoltaic recycling company SOLARCYCLE has officially launched its module recycling plant in Cedartown, Georgia, which can process up to 5GW of photovoltaic modules annually. Additionally, the company plans to build a photovoltaic glass factory adjacent to it, using recycled glass from the modules as a manufacturing feedstock.
The Cedartown plant currently processes thousands of solar modules per week, with the company aiming to increase its capacity to handle 1 million modules annually by the end of 2026. The plant utilizes SOLARCYCLE’s proprietary next-generation advanced recycling technology, which more than doubles the throughput of its first-generation recycling lines. It enables the recovery of materials including silver, copper, aluminum, glass, and other critical minerals, with the company claiming a recovery rate of up to 96%.
Covering 255,000 square feet, the recycling plant is strategically located adjacent to SOLARCYCLE’s planned 5GW photovoltaic glass factory. This glass factory will use recycled glass from the recycling plant as a key raw material to produce photovoltaic glass. It will be the world’s first factory to utilize crushed glass from end-of-life photovoltaic modules as a raw material. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, with commercial operations expected to start in 2028.
SOLARCYCLE management stated that over 80% of the planned capacity of its glass factory is already covered by customer purchase commitments. In August 2025, Illuminate USA signed a five-year agreement to become its largest customer, procuring domestically produced photovoltaic glass to supply its 3GW annual module manufacturing plant.
Suvi Sharma, CEO and Co-founder of SOLARCYCLE, said, “At the heart of our next phase of growth is scaling PV recycling to an industrial level and delivering competitive economics for our customers, thereby keeping vast amounts of critical materials within the domestic supply chain while PV deployment continues to accelerate.”
