Solar Products Circularity (SPCH)

Solar thermal systems consist of construction products regulated under the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR), Regulation (EU) 2024/3110.

Many solar thermal installations in European buildings are reaching the end of their design life (around 25 years). While some remain functional and contribute to our clean energy transition, others require rehabilitation or replacement. To ensure Europe prioritizes circular economy principles over premature replacement, we must empower owners, energy service companies, and installers to apply the right circularity hierarchy.

The Solar Products Circularity Hierarchy (SPCH) project will demonstrate that applying this hierarchy is both feasible and sustainable through five key actions:

1. Digital Assessment App:Develop a tool to accurately define the characteristics and conservation status of any existing solar plant.

2. Simulation Guidelines: Create engineering guidelines to help professionals model and suggest optimal reuse and rehabilitation scenarios.

3. Circular Business Cases: Develop viable business models for the re-manufacturing and reusing of solar thermal goods.

4. Local Recycling Line: Implement a specialized recycling line within an existing local business to process end-of-life components.

5. Replication Strategy: Design a comprehensive strategy to replicate the circular model and disseminate all lessons learned across the EU.

While Spain and the Comunidad de Madrid provide the perfect initial testing ground, the impact must be European. We call upon the entire European solar value chain to collaborate with us immediately.

The Spanish Solar Thermal Platform (SolPlat) and POLYSOL GESTION welcome your interest. Contact us to arrange a dedicated meeting to explore how you can contribute.

Raúl Pastor

PhD industrial engineer

administrador@polysol.org