Currently it is still processing solar panels using a traditional technique, with almost no material separation or recycling. That is certainly a shame, as solar panels contain valuable materials, like the rare metals silver and indium, and high-purity glass. So for future solar panel processing, OPEN was looking for one or two companies that could handle the sustainable recycling of solar panels.

Witteveen+Bos offered its support in the selection of parties who could meet the needs of the OPEN Foundation. This required a creative approach, because no company had a proven, mature technique yet. The market study found that a lot of ideas were out there, in highly disparate stages of development. We designed the selection process to accommodate both nascent ideas and techniques that could demonstrate their potential with prototypes. Based on specific selection and award criteria, the foundation ultimately chose a company that will start processing waste solar panels, with recycling of raw materials, in the next few years.