Decommissioning and retrofit of photovoltaic plants
Dismantling a plant, or replacing part of it, takes thousands of modules out of the field at once. SunR plans the removal together with the works, recycles the modules and delivers the documents that prove the destination of each batch.
Decommissioning, retrofit or repowering?
Decommissioning is the complete shutdown of the plant: modules, inverters, cables and structures leave the field and the land is handed back. It happens at the end of the plant's useful life, at the end of the land lease or when the plant is no longer worth running.
Retrofit is the modernization of a plant that keeps operating. It can mean replacing the inverters, the cabling, the monitoring system or only part of the modules. When old modules are replaced with higher-output models, the industry calls it repowering.
In all three cases, the waste rule is the same: under Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS, Law 12.305/2010), whoever generates the waste is responsible for its destination. The removed modules belong to the plant until final disposal is proven.
- Decommissioning: the whole plant is dismantled and the land is handed back.
- Retrofit: the plant keeps operating and part of the equipment is replaced.
- Repowering: a retrofit in which the modules are replaced with higher-output ones.
How it works, step by step
The work starts before the first structure is taken down. If the destination of the modules is not in the project schedule, the site yard fills up and installation stalls.
Freight can be hired by the plant or arranged by SunR; what changes is who bears the cost and the risk in transit. And modules have no packaging, so trucks end up carrying air. Well palletized, they take up fewer trucks and break less on the road, which lowers the cost per tonne.
1. Survey
Quantity, brand, model and power rating of the modules, condition of each batch (broken, with electrical defects, apparently good) and site access conditions for trucks.
2. Removal plan
A pickup schedule aligned with the project schedule, a storage area in the yard and a decision on who hires the freight.
3. Dismantling and palletizing
Removed modules go straight onto pallets, with the glass side protected, connectors insulated and batches separated by condition. In sunlight, a loose module still generates voltage, and cracked glass cuts.
4. Pickup with MTR
Each load leaves with an MTR (Brazilian waste transport manifest), issued in the official system (SINIR, Brazil's national waste information system, or the state system).
5. Sorting and recycling
Batch sorting and 100% mechanical recycling, with no chemicals, at the Montes Claros, Minas Gerais unit, separating glass, aluminum, PMM and cables.
6. Document closeout
CDF (certificate of final disposal), a batch disposal report with quantities, weights, dates and the destination of the materials, and a video of the process.
What happens to each material
A utility-scale module weighs about 30 kg: 74% to 80% is glass and about 3 kg is aluminum. It is bonded, not assembled, so separation requires a dedicated process. After mechanical recycling, each fraction goes to a different destination:
Glass
The largest fraction of the module. It goes to the glass industry and to the production of microbeads used in road marking paint.
Aluminum
The frames are removed whole and sent to smelting.
PMM
The mix of plastic, silicon, silver and other metals from the cells (Plastic Metal Mix) is the most valuable fraction and goes to metal recovery, including abroad.
Module cables and junction boxes
Once separated from the laminate, the cables go to copper recovery.
Modules in good condition
If undamaged modules with good performance turn up, SunR assesses them case by case. Second life only with an electrical test, a technical report and a buyer acknowledgment form, and with no promise of resale.
Inverters, field cables and structures
SunR handles the modules. Inverters, field cables and structures are also the generator's waste and follow the plant's waste management plan, with licensed handlers for each type.
Documents the plant receives
These are the documents that answer an inspection, a lender audit or a sustainability report. Without them, the plant cannot prove where the modules went, even if the truck has already left.
Keep everything in the company's environmental records, together with the inventory of removed modules. In portfolios with several plants, using the same report format across all of them makes consolidation easier for audits and ESG reports.
- MTR for each shipment, issued in SINIR or in the state system.
- CDF issued by the recycler at the end of the process.
- Batch disposal report, with traceability of quantity, weight, dates and the destination of each material.
- Video of the recycling process.
- Technical report and acknowledgment form for modules that go to a second life.
- Copy of the recycler's environmental license, for the generator's records.
Why SunR
Utility-scale volume (in Portuguese)
After the April 2023 storm in Paracatu, Minas Gerais, SunR recycled 2,900 tonnes of ENGIE modules, about 100,000 units, in just over a year.
Ver maisSince 2020
The first photovoltaic panel recycler in Latin America. More than 6,000 tonnes and 190,000 modules contracted, across more than 360 pickups.
100% mechanical recycling
No chemicals, with proprietary technology and a patent filed with INPI (Brazil's patent office). More than 80% recovery of the module's materials.
PV CYCLE
Partner of PV CYCLE, the European photovoltaic recycling association, since 2019. The association has been an investor in SunR since 2024.
To plan the dismantling
Repowering a solar plant (in Portuguese)
Why plants replace modules and what to do with the ones that leave the field.
Ver maisMTR, CDF and disposal report (in Portuguese)
What each document must contain and what to require from your recycler.
Ver maisSolar liability calculator (in Portuguese)
How many modules and how many tonnes your plant has already accumulated.
Ver maisFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between decommissioning and retrofit of a solar plant?
Decommissioning is the complete dismantling of the plant at the end of its operation. Retrofit is the modernization of a plant that keeps generating, with part of the equipment replaced.
Who is responsible for the modules removed during decommissioning?
The waste generator, under the PNRS (Brazil's National Solid Waste Policy, Law 12.305/2010). In practice, the plant is responsible for the modules until final disposal is proven by the CDF (certificate of final disposal).
Which documents prove where the modules went?
The MTR (Brazilian waste transport manifest) for each shipment, the CDF issued by the recycler and the batch disposal report.
Can the removed modules be reused?
Some can, but do not count on it in the project plan. Undamaged modules with good performance only go to a second life with an electrical test, a technical report and a buyer acknowledgment form. The rest go to recycling.
Does SunR recycle inverters and mounting structures?
No. SunR handles the photovoltaic modules. Inverters, structures and field cables follow the plant's waste management plan, with licensed waste handlers.
Can the removal happen in stages, during the works?
Yes. Staged pickups prevent stockpiling on site and keep pace with the dismantling or module replacement.
Does SunR handle small volumes?
Yes. SunR collects with no minimum volume, from homes to utility-scale plants.