WRS to build US’ first critical materials recovery facility for retired solar panels in Texas

We Recycle Solar (WRS) is set to construct the first U.S. critical materials recovery facility for retired solar panels in Texas. The commercial-scale plant, slated for operation in Q3 2027, will recover up to 96% of valuable materials such as silver, copper, silicon, aluminum, and glass from decommissioned solar panels. Located on a 10-acre campus outside Dallas, this plant will mark the first in WRS's network of high-efficiency critical material recovery facilities, with plans to invest $100 million over the next four years to establish four more facilities across the United States.

Unlike conventional recycling methods that send semi-processed materials offshore for further recovery, WRS's facility will process and recover these materials entirely within the U.S. at a scale never before achieved domestically. The new plant will use a proprietary high-efficiency end-to-end critical mineral extraction process, achieving a throughput of one panel per minute without the need for downstream smelting in overseas facilities.

Silver, a critical component in solar energy, AI infrastructure, defense systems, electronics, and the power grid, is currently facing global supply shortages and export licensing challenges, making the domestic recovery of critical materials increasingly vital. With solar now the fastest-growing electricity source in the U.S., retired solar panels represent a significant untapped source of these materials.

By 2050, the U.S. is projected to have the world's largest stockpile of end-of-life solar panels, worth over $80 billion in recyclable materials, with 90% of America's old solar panels currently going to landfill or being shipped to offshore processing centers, often in Asia. WRS CEO Adam Saghei emphasized the company's advanced process for achieving comprehensive material recovery entirely on U.S. soil, retaining these critical materials and their value within the domestic supply chain.