As the green wave of the photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage industry sweeps across the globe, a new track that concerns the industry's future and holds hundreds of billions of yuan in value is rising strongly—the recycling of PV and energy storage solid waste. With the first batch of PV modules entering concentrated retirement and top-level national policies being recently introduced, the 3rd Seminar on PV & Energy Storage Solid Waste Recycling Technology will be held grandly in Chengdu, China from November 17 to 20, 2026. As a key parallel event of the 9th China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference, this seminar will gather insights from across the industry to explore breakthrough strategies for achieving a "closed green loop" in the PV and energy storage sector.

Scene of the 2nd Seminar on PV Solid Waste Recycling Technology

On March 3, 2026, six departments—including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Market Regulation, State Administration of Financial Regulation, and National Energy Administration—jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting Comprehensive Utilization of PV Modules, setting clear phased targets for the PV recycling industry for the first time. This is another top-level policy document targeting PV module recycling, following the 2023 guiding opinions on circular utilization of decommissioned wind power and PV equipment released by the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments.

Meanwhile, China's installed PV capacity has ranked first globally for many consecutive years. Data from the National Energy Administration shows that by the end of 2025, China's cumulative installed PV capacity accounted for 30.9% of the country's total installed power generation capacity, and over 47% of global total installed PV capacity. As the first batch of PV modules deployed after China's PV industry took off around 2005 approach the end of their 20–25 year service life, a large-scale wave of module retirement will officially begin from 2026 onward, giving birth to a trillion-yuan market for PV module recycling and reuse.

Despite enormous market potential, China's PV recycling system remains underdeveloped. Issues such as arbitrary disposal of small batches of decommissioned modules, inconsistent dismantling processes, and insufficient formal recycling channels still constrain industry development. Additionally, high recycling costs, inadequate industrial chain coordination, and inconsistent standards mean the PV recycling track is still in the early exploration stage.

Against this developmental backdrop, the 3rd Seminar on PV & Energy Storage Solid Waste Recycling Technology comes at an opportune time with profound significance. This seminar will cover two core areas: decommissioned modules and manufacturing solid waste. It will not only delve into technologies for efficient dismantling, material regeneration, and high-value recycling (of silicon, silver, copper, aluminum, glass, etc.) from decommissioned PV modules, but also address industrial solid wastes generated during PV manufacturing—such as silicon slag, waste slurry, and waste frames. By directly tackling industry pain points including "low recycling efficiency, insufficient material purity, and high environmental protection costs", the seminar aims to build a closed-loop management system of "green production – standardized decommissioning – efficient utilization".

Guest delivering a keynote speech at the 2nd Seminar on PV Solid Waste Recycling Technology

Furthermore, the seminar will bring together industry experts, R&D personnel from upstream and downstream enterprises, representatives from research institutes, universities, and suppliers in Chengdu. Participants will conduct in-depth discussions, case sharing, and technical matchmaking on core topics including advanced dismantling technologies, high-purity material regeneration, intelligent recycling equipment, green environmental protection processes, business model innovation, and policy and standard interpretation. The goal is to contribute insights, build consensus, and connect resources to drive the large-scale, high-value, and green development of the industry.

From November 17 to 20, 2026, the 9th China International Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Industry Conference will be held grandly in Chengdu, China. As the global PV and energy storage community once again turns its attention to Chengdu, this industry seminar focused on the hundreds of billions—even trillions—yuan PV and energy storage recycling track is ready to open. The 3rd Seminar on PV & Energy Storage Solid Waste Recycling Technology sincerely invites you to join us in overcoming the challenges of solid waste resource utilization and building a foundation for green circularity.