Maryland has established itself as a national climate leader through ambitious targets set in the Climate Solutions Now Act (CSNA). The CSNA outlines goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2031 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, establishing an urgent need for rapid and large-scale expansion of renewable energy sources like solar.

Accelerating the expansion of solar power will require addressing the full lifecycle of renewable technologies, including end-of-life (EoL) solutions for decommissioned solar panels. The report “A Circular Economy Approach to Solar Photovoltaics in Maryland” from the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability and Johns Hopkins University’s Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute offers recommendations to guide Maryland toward effective solar waste management aligned with circular economy principles.

Through the Solar Photovoltaic Systems Recovery, Reuse, and Recycling Working Group, the CSNA directed an investigation into policy options for solar PV management in Maryland. This report provides an analysis of these options, starting with an exploration of how circular economy principles can be applied to solar photovoltaics to manage waste and mitigate supply chain risks, and models different scenarios for the solar PV industry in Maryland based on deployment trajectories and policy approaches along with their impacts on solar waste generation in the state.

To explore how Maryland can move toward a best-practices circular economy approach for solar PV management and set a national example for such practices, download the report: