Photovoltaic module line

Used solar panels: testing, repair and reuse

Repowering, construction breakage, warranty returns and plant closures. We test every module, repair what can be repaired and sell with measured power and warranty the panels that still work. The rest is recycled with a valorization certificate.

Updated on September 18, 2026 · Reviewed by the Ecobaterías technical team

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Module testing in Santiago

Visual inspection and UV fluorescence, electrical safety and bypass diodes, electroluminescence in a dark cabin and an I-V curve under a solar simulator with a calibrated reference.

6 minutes per module · 150–250 modules per day and shift.

756photovoltaic plants in operation analyzed in Chile
≈34.9 millionmodules installed in those plants
6 minof testing per module: 150–250 modules per day and shift

Sources: Ecobaterías Solar Observatory, cut-off 2026-09-11 · Ecobaterías test protocol · 2026-09-18

Health authorization from the Seremi de Salud of the Región Metropolitana (Chile’s regional health authority) for the hydrometallurgical process
Valorization certificate per batch for your Law 20,920 report
A reply within 48 business hours with the proposed route and test scope
Coordinated pickup with licensed transport across Chile

On this page

The Ecobaterías solar panel line receives photovoltaic modules withdrawn in Chile, tests them in four stages (visual inspection, electrical safety, electroluminescence and I-V curve) and grades them into power classes P1, P2 and P3 for reuse, refurbishment or second life. Whatever fails the test is recycled with a certificate.

Modules: Crystalline silicon with 60, 72 and 144 half cells, 250–700 W, monofacial and bifacial glass-glass
Test time: 6 minutes per module · 150–250 modules per day and shift
Reuse classes: P1 ≥ 85% of nameplate · P2 80–85% · P3 70–80% (off-grid only) · < 70% recycling
Warranty: 1 year on refurbished modules
Reference standards: IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC TS 60904-13, IEC TS 62446-3, EN 50614
EPR framework: DS 22/2025: targets enforceable from May 2028; 10% in 2030 and 50% in 2037

Where the panels we test come from

Where the modules we test come from and which route they follow
Origin	Estimated volume in Chile	Typical condition	Usual route
Breakage in construction and operation	≈6,016 t of broken modules already generated in the analyzed fleet	Broken glass or handling microcracks	Recycling and harvesting of frames, boxes and cables
Early flow of withdrawals and warranty returns	55,000–80,000 modules per year through 2029	Power loss, junction boxes and diodes, corrosion, delamination	Refurbishment and reuse; failure analysis for the manufacturer
Repowering as supply contracts expire (2030 and 2033–2035)	400,000–850,000 modules in PPA expiry years	Modules at 80–90% of nameplate power	Direct reuse with a certificate
Commercial and residential rooftops	Not quantified	Sound modules removed on expansion or inverter change	Direct reuse
Insurance events (wind, hail, fire)	Occasional	Mixed; decided with unit testing	Per test

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Source: Ecobaterías Solar Observatory, cut-off 2026-09-11 (756 plants and 12,884 MW analyzed). The years shown are supply contract expiry dates, not closures announced by their owners.

The four routes of a module

Direct reuse

Class P1: ≥ 85% of nameplate power, no critical electroluminescence defects and correct insulation. Measured-power label, certificate and written warranty.

Refurbishment and return to service

Class P2 (80–85% of nameplate): junction box, bypass diodes, connectors and cables replaced, frame resealed, with a full retest before delivery.

Stationary second life

Class P3 (70–80% of nameplate), off-grid systems only: agriculture, pumping, remote camps, backup and social projects.

Recycling at our own plant

Below 70% of nameplate, insulation failure, broken glass or cracked backsheet: de-framing, component harvesting and laminate to licensed recycling with a valorization certificate. See solar panel recycling in Chile.

Source: Ecobaterías test protocol, measured under a solar simulator with a calibrated reference · in-house grading, not a standard · 2026-09-18

Status of each service line

Battery intake and recycling: In operation
Battery diagnostics and repair: 2026–2027 pilot program (limited capacity)
PV module line: 2026–2027 pilot program (limited capacity)
Stationary second life: 2026–2027 pilot program (limited capacity)

Status reviewed on September 18, 2026. The pilot program works with limited batches and case-by-case lead times: we do not commit industrial capacity on lines that are not yet in full operation.

How we test: the four-stage protocol

Intake and inspection (2–3 min)Serial number, model and origin recorded; weighing; visual inspection per IEC TS 62446-3 (glass, backsheet, frame, burn marks, delamination) and UV fluorescence; cleaning.
Electrical safety (1–2 min)Insulation at 1,000 V (≥ 40 MΩ·m² for grid-connected reuse), frame continuity and bypass diode testing. Wet leakage by sampling and on 100% of repaired modules.
Electroluminescence (1–2 min)EL imaging in a dark cabin per IEC TS 60904-13: microcracks, inactive cells, potential-induced degradation, corrosion and solder joints.
I-V curve under a solar simulator (1 min)Maximum power, Voc, Isc and fill factor at standard test conditions (1,000 W/m², 25 °C) with a calibrated reference module. Grading into 5 W power bands and a label with the measured values.

Who buys refurbished panels

Installers and distributors, farmers and pumping systems, remote sites and camps, telecommunications, backup for small businesses, municipalities and social projects. Each batch is sold by model and power class, with its own data sheet, a 30-module minimum order and a written warranty. Thin-film modules are not reused and go back to the manufacturer’s recycling program.

Coverage: Santiago and northern sites

The laboratory and the plant are in Santiago. From there we serve all of Chile and coordinate pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport. For sites in Antofagasta, Atacama, Tarapacá and Coquimbo we offer on-site mobile testing: we sort the batch where it is and ship only what still holds value, which is where most of the cost sits.

Coverage and committed response time by region
Region	Mode	Response to your request
Región Metropolitana	Intake at the plant and coordinated pickup	48 business hours
Antofagasta, Atacama, Tarapacá, Coquimbo	On-site mobile testing and batch consolidation	48 business hours for the proposal; visit as scheduled
Rest of Chile	Shipment to the plant with licensed transport	48 business hours

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The time shown is the response to your request: we reply within 48 business hours. Testing and pickup lead times are agreed per batch.

Regulatory framework

Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920): preparation for reuse counts as recovery and comes before recycling in the hierarchy; whoever imports modules for their own professional use is a producer.
Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025: published on 2026-05-07, with targets enforceable 24 months later (May 2028) for photovoltaic modules: 10% in the third year (2030) and 50% in the tenth (2037), measured against the estimated waste of the year.
Supreme Decree (DS) 148/2003: a discarded module is handled as hazardous waste unless declassified; we keep the product flow (testing and reuse) separate from the waste flow (recycling). What to require from an authorized waste manager.
SEC: only authorized models may be grid-connected; we deliver a per-unit report.
IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC TS 60904-13, IEC TS 62446-3 and EN 50614: power, safety, electroluminescence and preparation-for-reuse testing. Reference standards for the method, not certifications we hold.

Source: DS 22/2025, Ministry of the Environment · 2026-09-18

Frequently asked questions

What do I do with used or broken solar panels in Chile?

Do not dump or stockpile them: a discarded module is handled as hazardous waste until it is declassified. Ecobaterías receives batches of used modules, tests them and separates those that still work (which return to the market with a certificate) from those that are recycled with a valorization certificate for Law 20,920.

How much power does a used panel keep?

Modules withdrawn in repowering usually keep 80 to 95% of their nameplate power. On the reuse lines analyzed by IEA-PVPS, 50 to 70% of visually sound modules pass. Only electrical testing and electroluminescence confirm it module by module.

Can a solar panel be repaired?

Yes, when the fault sits in the junction box, the bypass diodes, the connectors, the cables or the frame seal. Broken glass, delamination and cell cracks are not repaired and the module moves to recycling.

Can a refurbished panel be grid-connected?

In Chile the SEC requires modules from authorized models. We work only with models that keep their original certification and deliver a per-unit report; for grid connection we recommend consulting a certified installer. Class P3 modules go to off-grid systems, agriculture and pumping.

Do you test panels on site before transporting them?

Yes. We offer on-site mobile testing (I-V curve, thermography and night electroluminescence) to sort the batch and transport only what holds value, with reinforced pallets that cut transport breakage.

What does it cost to recycle a panel and what is reuse worth?

According to IEA-PVPS, recycling a module costs 6 to 35 dollars and returns 4 to 13 dollars in materials; a tested, reused module sells for 15 to 45 dollars depending on power and class. That is why the hierarchy of Law 20,920 and the economics agree: test first, recycle second.

Sources

Supreme Decree 22/2025, collection and recovery targets for photovoltaic modules. Ministry of the Environment, 2026. diariooficial.interior.gob.cl
Law 20,920 establishing the framework for waste management and extended producer responsibility. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile, 2016. bcn.cl
Ecobaterías Solar Observatory, cut-off 2026-09-11: 756 plants, 12,884 MW nameplate and ≈34.9 million modules analyzed. In-house methodology.
Performance and Reliability Aspects of Second Life PV Modules, T13-37. IEA-PVPS, 2026.
Status of PV Module Recycling, T12-31. IEA-PVPS, 2025.
IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC TS 60904-13, IEC TS 62446-3 and EN 50614. Cited as reference standards for the method.