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“Industry and consumers need confidence in both the performance and safety of reused modules.”
Photo Credit: NSW Climate and Energy Action
A group of researchers in Australia has developed a rapid screening method to sort retired solar panels into those with usable life remaining and those to be excluded.
Quicker screening could help keep working panels in circulation, reducing waste and lowering the cost of second-life solar systems, according to pv magazine.
According to pv magazine, the method relies on two rounds of current-voltage, or I-V, testing. First, it screens out modules with obvious electrical faults. Panels that pass then move to a second assessment that evaluates indicators such as fill factor, resistance, and estimated power loss.
Marco Ernst, the study’s corresponding author, said the work was meant to address a growing problem for the industry.
“With the rapidly growing number of PV modules being decommissioned, we need scalable ways to identify which panels still have useful life left in them,” Ernst said.
The project involved researchers from the Australian National University and CSIRO Energy, who demonstrated the approach with CSIRO Energy’s portable Rapid-Triage equipment.
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Australian circular solar company Second Life Solar conducted the testing and said the mobile rig can evaluate a panel’s electrical and mechanical condition in under 60 seconds for a few Australian dollars per module.
The researchers analyzed 3,749 modules during an 18-day testing campaign from December 2024 to June 2025.
The sample included modules from more than 100 manufacturers, with power ratings ranging from 160 watts to 370 watts.
Panels removed during system upgrades, weather-related damage, construction work, or end-of-life replacement may still perform well enough for less demanding applications.
The main analysis found that 58.1% of the modules met the chosen performance thresholds, according to pv magazine.
Ernst said that modules passing I-V screening had a median estimated useful life of about 12 years remaining. That could translate into savings for communities, small businesses, farms, and homeowners seeking lower-cost solar options.
Reusing viable panels can also reduce demand for newly manufactured materials while keeping bulky electronic waste out of landfills.
The study also found that good performance alone does not guarantee that a module is safe to reuse.
According to pv magazine, about 14% of modules that passed both I-V and electroluminescence screening still failed wet-leakage testing, indicating insulation problems that were not otherwise apparent.
Rapid automated screening could help build a second-life solar market at scale.
Rather than relying solely on slower manual inspections, companies could use rapid automated screening to sort large volumes of retired panels and identify which panels warrant more detailed testing.
That could make reuse programs more efficient and more trustworthy for consumers and installers buying used solar equipment.
Improved screening can also help avoid safety risks tied to insulation failures, including electrical hazards and inverter ground-fault issues.
More reliable second-life solar could expand access to cheaper clean energy for garages, sheds, farms, off-grid systems, and community projects.
That, in turn, can help households and organizations cut electricity costs while reducing pollution linked to the burning of non-renewable energy sources.
The study, titled “Data-driven I-V analysis for qualification of decommissioned PV modules for second life deployment,” was published in the journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.
“For second-life PV to gain wider uptake, industry and consumers need confidence in both the performance and safety of reused modules,” Ernst said, per pv magazine. “Our results demonstrate that these are different aspects of module condition. A module that still performs well is not necessarily safe to reuse. Poor insulation can create electrical safety risks and can also cause operational problems, such as triggering inverter ground-fault protection.”
Fast screening for retired panels is part of a push to get more use out of solar equipment before it ends up as waste. Recycling, upkeep, and tougher cell designs can cut costs and keep solar technology working longer.
• In China, companies are recycling solar panels to recover materials and reduce waste.
• Routine solar panel maintenance can preserve rooftop output and delay expensive replacements.
• Scientists are using a protective 2D layer to make perovskite solar cells more durable.
Solar gets cheaper when panels and parts stay in service longer. That is exactly what the Australian screening method is designed to support at scale.
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