FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2026
Contact: Chris Thomas, President/CEO
Development Authority of Polk County
(770) 684-5686 | Chris@ChoosePolk.com
Cedartown — SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar recycling company, announced today that it has begun recycling operations at its new state-of-the-art facility in Cedartown, Georgia.
The 255,000-square-foot recycling facility is home to SOLARCYCLE’s proprietary next-generation advanced recycling technology, which delivers more than double the throughput of the company’s first-generation recycling lines. The new process allows for 100% landfill diversion and recovers 96% of the value from the silver, copper, aluminum, glass and other critical minerals within a solar panel. The site is now processing thousands of solar panels per week and will continue to scale toward one million panels annually by the end of 2026. At full capacity, the facility can process up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels each year.
“Our recycling facility in Cedartown represents a step-change in how we’re delivering end-of-life infrastructure,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and CO-Founder at SOLARCYCLE. “The next phase of our growth is all about bringing solar recycling to industrial scale and delivering winning economics for our customers so the industry can keep high volumes of critical materials in domestic supply chains as solar deployment continues to accelerate.”
The recycling facility is located adjacent to SOLARCYCLE’s future solar glass manufacturing plant, creating an integrated campus designed to recover and remanufacture high-value materials from end-of-life solar panels. The company has already secured customer commitments covering more than 80% of the glass factory’s planned 5 GW capacity, reflecting strong demand for domestically manufactured solar materials. The project is on track to break ground in mid-2026 and deliver its first production of glass in 2028.
Despite a challenging political climate in 2025, the industry has continued to grow. According to the Energy Information Administration, utility-scale solar continues to be the fastest-growing source of electricity generation in the U.S. The agency says 70 GW of new solar generating capacity is scheduled to come online in 2026 and 2027, which represents a 49% increase in U.S. solar operating capacity compared with the end of 2025. SOLARCYCLE expects this continued growth in solar deployments to drive increased demand for end-of-life solutions.
About SOLARCYCLE
SOLARCYCLE is leading the growth of the circular economy for solar in America. The company partners with the world’s largest asset owners and manufacturers to recycle solar panels, recover valuable materials, and produce key components for the next generation of solar panels and clean energy products. Through its circular economy solutions, SOLARCYCLE enhances the sustainability and resiliency of the U.S. solar supply chain. Learn more at www.solarcycle.us.
For media inquiries, please contact media@solarcycle.us
The Development Authority of Polk County (DAPC) is a government entity charged with economic development for the county, supported by the cities, and provides a single point of contact for business and industry looking to relocate or expand within the footprint of the county. Its mission is to support the creation of jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Polk County through continued growth in new and existing industry and the redevelopment of areas of commercial blight or underuse. For more information, visit www.ChoosePolk.com
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