How do you calculate solar module scrap value?

Multiply scrapped modules by recoverable value per module, scale by the material recovery yield, then add the collection and processing fee. With 3,000 modules at $7.50 each, a 70% yield, and a $4,000 fee, that is 3,000 x 7.5 x 0.70 + 4,000 = $19,750.

What is a good scrap value per solar module?

The calculator returns $6.58 per module at these defaults. Crystalline-silicon modules typically recover a few dollars of aluminum frame plus glass and small amounts of silver; anything above the disposal-plus-fee cost is worth recovering.

Why does material recovery yield matter so much?

Yield is the fraction of nominal value you actually reclaim after crushing, separation, and losses. At 70% yield the variable recovery falls to $15,750 from a $22,500 nominal, so a 10-point yield swing moves thousands of dollars on a 3,000-module lot.

Is the collection and processing fee added or subtracted?

In this model it is added into the total as a fixed component alongside variable recovery, so read it as the fixed cost or credit line for handling the lot. Here it contributes $4,000 of the $19,750 total.

Recycle versus landfill solar modules?

Compare net per-module recovery, $6.58 here, against landfill tipping plus transport. When recovery value exceeds disposal cost and mandates require diversion, recycling wins on both economics and compliance.

What drives recoverable value per module?

Aluminum frame weight, glass mass, and silver and copper content, priced at current commodity rates. Frameless or thin-film modules recover less, so set the per-module value to match the actual module type in the lot.

Renewable Energy, Solar & Wind Manufacturing calculator

Solar Module Scrap Value Calculator

Solar Module Scrap Value estimates the recoverable material value from a batch of scrapped or end-of-life photovoltaic modules, netting the aluminum, glass, silicon, silver, and copper you can reclaim against the fixed cost of collecting and processing them. PV manufacturers with line-scrap, EPCs decommissioning arrays, and recyclers use it to decide whether a lot is worth reclaiming or landfilling. As recycling mandates tighten and silver and silicon prices swing, knowing the net-of-fee value per module drives whether recovery is a revenue line or a disposal cost. It is the number that turns a pile of broken modules into a defensible recovery quote.

What this calculator does

Estimates the net recoverable value of scrapped solar modules after recycling yield and processing fees.
A recycling coordinator uses it to value a pallet of end-of-line reject or returned modules headed to a recycler.
It computes net solar module scrap value as scrapped modules times recoverable value per module scaled by material recovery yield, plus a fixed collection and processing fee, with per-module and variable-versus-fixed breakdowns.

Formula used

Net value = scrapped modules x value/module x recovery yield% + collection and processing fee
Per module = net recovered value / scrapped modules

Inputs explained

Scrapped Modules:
Recoverable Value per Module:
Material Recovery Yield:
Collection and Processing Fee:

How to use the result

Use it when quoting an end-of-life PV recycling lot, valuing manufacturing line scrap, or comparing recovery against landfill disposal.
Recoverable value per module and recovery yield swing hard with commodity prices and module chemistry, so the estimate is only as good as today's scrap market and the delamination or crushing process assumed.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
Industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Apr 2026), up 5.5% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.

Common questions

How do you calculate solar module scrap value? Multiply scrapped modules by recoverable value per module, scale by the material recovery yield, then add the collection and processing fee. With 3,000 modules at $7.50 each, a 70% yield, and a $4,000 fee, that is 3,000 x 7.5 x 0.70 + 4,000 = $19,750.
What is a good scrap value per solar module? The calculator returns $6.58 per module at these defaults. Crystalline-silicon modules typically recover a few dollars of aluminum frame plus glass and small amounts of silver; anything above the disposal-plus-fee cost is worth recovering.
Why does material recovery yield matter so much? Yield is the fraction of nominal value you actually reclaim after crushing, separation, and losses. At 70% yield the variable recovery falls to $15,750 from a $22,500 nominal, so a 10-point yield swing moves thousands of dollars on a 3,000-module lot.
Is the collection and processing fee added or subtracted? In this model it is added into the total as a fixed component alongside variable recovery, so read it as the fixed cost or credit line for handling the lot. Here it contributes $4,000 of the $19,750 total.
Recycle versus landfill solar modules? Compare net per-module recovery, $6.58 here, against landfill tipping plus transport. When recovery value exceeds disposal cost and mandates require diversion, recycling wins on both economics and compliance.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.