As solar panels continue to be installed Australian roof tops, where they operate for 25 to 30 years, there is a growing waste problem that becomes much more visible when they are taken down.
Whether they have reached the end of their lives or have been removed as part of a renovation or upgrade, most will end up in landfill.
Robert Guth's non-for-profit organisation Repurposing for Resilience is determined to delay or prevent that process using electrical knowledge and innovation.
"Lots of panels get de-installed when they still have lots of life left in them," he said.
"They're treated as e-waste, so the large industrial materials recycling sector will start dealing with them, but we believe it's much better to interrupt them in the waste flow to get the remaining life out of them."
The second-hand panels are assessed by Repurposing for Resilience's electricians and given an appropriate warranty based on their quality.
Dr Guth said many of the second-hand panels have been used on bushfire-affected households on the south coast to allow them to live off-grid again.
Repurposing into household items
One of the more innovative projects for the organisation was turning an solar panel into a table that doubles as a charging point for USB devices.
Robert Guth said the table is an example of using solar panels for a practical and innovative purpose.
"[The power in] that table is going through a simple inverter to stabilise the voltage so you can still use it as a charge point.
"There's no danger at all and the voltage isn't at fatal levels anyway, but we have our electricians on staff and are careful about how we do our work."
Panels used for cladding or art
For panels that no longer generate electricity, Dr Guth said they can be used as a building material.
"You can clad with them, strip off the aluminium edging and put holes in so they can be secured onto frames for roofing.
"It would look like the world's biggest solar outhouse, but it would just be a rather cool silica siding."
The panels have also been used to create art pieces.
"We've been using a plasma cutter to cut out little animal figurines out of waste material," Dr Guth said.
"We've cut it into marine creatures for a fundraiser for next week."
He said his organisation has saved "hundreds" of solar panels from ending up in landfill, and while he is happy to keep his operation in the Eurobodalla, he would like to see the idea expanded to other parts of Australia.
"We can help other communities get this up in other places.
"It's gone well, but we're still at a stage where we're developing technology."
