Residual material value

Estimate the recoverable value of materials inside an end-of-life system. Use the result as an anchor for the discount you should expect in a recycling bid.

Share with your team or CFOCrystalline-silicon solar panel (typ. 400W) · 10,000 panel

Asset sub-type

Typical mass: 21 kg per panel

Quantity (panel)

Total input mass: 210 metric tons

Panel vintage (sets silver loading)

Older panels carry more silver, the dominant value driver.

Recycling process

Dedicated recyclers recover silver & silicon.

Your recycling fee ($ per panel)

Quoted fee: used to estimate your net cost after the recycler's material offset.

Commodity prices as of May 2026. Silver is volatile; verify before quoting.

Net recovered value

$72,159

Gross $261,159 − processing $189,000 · recycler side

Est. net cost to owner

$183,921

You likely still pay, after a recycler offset on $72,159

Per unit (mid)

per panel, net of processing

Range (±45%)

$39,687 – $104,631

Driven mainly by silver-price volatility

What recyclers will be working with

Materials sorted by contribution to recovered value. The "Recovered value" column is what a recycler can reasonably sell downstream after processing losses — anchor your recycling-contract discount against these numbers.

Material	Mass (kg)	Recovery	Price ($/kg)	Gross value	Recovered value
Silver	120	70%	$2450.00	$294,000	$205,800
Aluminum	18,000	90%	$2.30	$41,400	$37,260
Copper	800	92%	$9.00	$7,200	$6,624
Silicon	6,000	45%	$2.00	$12,000	$5,400
Glass	150,000	85%	$0.04	$6,000	$5,100
Plastics	13,000	50%	$0.15	$1,950	$975
Processing cost					−$189,000
Net recovered value					$72,159

How to use this number

In a healthy auction, you should expect recyclers' bids to reflect roughly 30–70% of this net recovered value as a discount on your recycling/decommissioning fee. The rest covers their margin, logistics, risk, and the time value of capital tied up in inventory. If bids don't reflect anywhere near this range, that's a signal: either the materials markets have moved, or you need more recyclers competing.

Ready to run an RFP with this baseline? Create an account. Your target-price anchor is already plugged into our bid scoring rubric.

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Material

Mass (kg)

Recovery

Price ($/kg)

Gross value

Recovered value

Silver

120

70%

$2450.00

$294,000

$205,800

Aluminum

18,000

90%

$2.30

$41,400

$37,260

Copper

800

92%

$9.00

$7,200

$6,624

Silicon

6,000

45%

$2.00

$12,000

$5,400

Glass

150,000

85%

$0.04

$6,000

$5,100

Plastics

13,000

50%

$0.15

$1,950

$975

Processing cost

−$189,000

Net recovered value

$72,159