When a solar plant is taken down
After 20 years the remuneration under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) ends, and the land lease often expires with it. That is when the question comes up: keep running, renew or dismantle.1
Two further occasions add to it: damage from hail, storm or fire after which a repair no longer pays — and outdated modules whose replacement yields noticeably more on the same land.
For the dismantling itself, every component has to be taken down properly and disposed of correctly, and the land restored to its original condition. Anyone who built in an outlying area has committed to this; the obligation is financially secured, for example by a guarantee.
What we take care of
One point of contact from switch-off to the disposal certificate. A plant comes down in the reverse order of its construction.
Survey and quotation
We review the plant, the contracts and the dismantling obligations and survey protected species beforehand. Then you receive a quotation.
Switch-off and safe isolation
Coordination with the grid operator, isolation, securing the site. Even a broken module produces voltage in daylight — which is why qualified electricians do this part.
Dismantling
Modules and cables first, handled with care so that no glass breaks. Then the driven mounting structures, inverter and transformer stations, and finally foundations, fence and tracks.
Removal and recycling
Modules go to certified first-treatment facilities as waste electrical equipment; steel, aluminium, copper and concrete into their own recovery routes. For large plants, collection takes place on site.
Handing back the land
Restoration with soil supervision, closed seasons for ground-nesting birds and, where necessary, relocation of protected species. The land goes back the way it was taken over.
Records
Serial number list, disposal records and the certificate of proper disposal — for the authority, the landowner and the bank that releases the dismantling guarantee.1
What a solar park weighs
Example of a 20 MWp ground-mounted plant. Every tonne needs a destination.1
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Sand, gravel, crushed stone, building materials | 8,134 t |
| PV modules | 2,272 t |
| Steel | 1,660 t |
| Concrete | 184 t |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 153 t |
| Aluminium | 86 t |
| Copper | 28 t |
| Other materials | 7 t |
What happens to the modules
PV modules are waste electrical equipment and have been covered by the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) since 2015.2 They belong in a certified first-treatment facility, not in the rubble.
Most end-of-life modules are not classed as hazardous waste. Thin-film modules, for instance with cadmium telluride, can be different — they are collected and treated separately. The glass goes to the glass industry, the metals to metal recycling.2 We collect broken modules so that nothing is left behind on the land.
Today 90 to 95 per cent of module mass can be recycled. For modules placed on the market since 2015, the manufacturers bear the cost of take-back; for older ones the last operator pays in law — in practice, municipal collection points usually accept them free of charge too. For large plants, first-treatment operators set up the collection point right at the plant.1
Repowering: the connection stays
The grid connection of an old plant is often worth more than the modules on it. A new connection is the most expensive and time-consuming single item of a project — an existing one is already there.
In repowering we replace outdated modules and components with new ones: more yield on the same land, at the same connection. Whether an ongoing EEG remuneration is preserved depends on the case; we check that before the first module comes off.
And where a connection becomes free or is not fully used, storage fits alongside — co-location: one connection, two plants. More under Utility — grid-scale storage & co-location.
Frequently asked questions on decommissioning solar plants
Who is responsible for dismantling a solar park?
The operator. The obligation follows from the permit — for privileged plants in outlying areas from the dismantling obligation —, from the urban development contract with the municipality and from the lease with the landowner. It has to be financially secured, for example by a guarantee.1
What does it cost to dismantle a solar park?
That depends on size, mounting structures, foundations and the condition of the plant. The EU research project Quasar puts dismantling costs for a 20 MW solar park at EUR 75 to 100 per kilowatt; implementation contracts for development plans often provide for only EUR 5 to 31 per kilowatt.1 We quote for your plant after the survey.
Are old solar modules hazardous waste?
As a rule, no. End-of-life modules are waste electrical equipment and usually classed as non-hazardous. Thin-film modules, for instance with cadmium telluride, can be different; they are collected separately.2
Who pays for the disposal of the modules?
For modules placed on the market since 2015, the manufacturers. For older modules the last operator bears the cost in law; in practice, municipal collection points usually accept them free of charge too.1 What applies to your plant, we clarify in the survey.
What happens to glass, metal and concrete?
The module glass goes to the glass industry, the metals to metal recycling, foils to energy recovery.2 Steel and copper go to metal recycling, concrete and crushed stone into their own recovery routes as construction and demolition waste.
Can the land be farmed again afterwards?
That is the aim of dismantling: the land is restored to its original condition. If permanent grassland or a protected habitat has developed during operation, this can conflict; some federal states, such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bavaria, have created solutions for it.1 We clarify this before dismantling.
What is repowering?
Replacing outdated modules and components with new ones to achieve more yield on the same land and at the same grid connection.1 Whether an ongoing EEG remuneration is preserved, we check in advance case by case.
Can you add storage as well?
Yes — that is our core business. An existing grid connection is the most valuable part of an old plant; storage alongside uses it a second time. How that works is explained under co-location.
Sources
Sources last reconciled on
- Fachagentur Wind und Solar: Decommissioning and recycling of ground-mounted PV plants (Kompaktwissen, in German). As of 2026-05. Go to source
- Landtag Nordrhein-Westfalen, Antwort der Landesregierung: Waste of the future – what happens to old PV plants? Printed paper 17/7492 (in German). As of 2019-09-25. Go to source
