2025 was a good year for 2nd Cycle. Not loud, not exaggerated—but successful. We achieved important milestones, worked with strong partners, and saw that our approach works in practice: evaluating photovoltaic modules based on data, using them longer, and recycling them at the end of their life cycle in a high-quality manner.
This review shows what we believe shaped 2025—and why we believe the circular economy has finally moved from concept to implementation: reuse and recycling as two closely interlinked components of an industrial system.
From planning to operation
With the commissioning of our fully automated inspection and upcycling plant in Amstetten, we took an important step forward in 2025.
The system enables automated handling, cleaning, and electrical testing of large module inventories—reproducible, safe, and scalable.
Pilot projects have shown that the majority of the modules tested still achieve around 97% of their original performance even after around 25 years. This finding confirms the potential of reuse—and at the same time provides detailed information about the structure, materials, and damage patterns of the modules. It is precisely this data that is crucial when modules are to be recycled in a targeted and high-quality manner at the end of their life cycle.
Successful projects with energy suppliers
2025 was marked by concrete applications. Energy suppliers such as LINZ AG, EVN, and Wien Energie use our testing methodology to systematically evaluate and reuse used PV modules.
In some projects, only a few weeks passed between commissioning and completion of the module test. The combination of safety, performance evaluation, and clear decision-making logic makes reuse economically predictable—and at the same time defines a clean transition: modules that are not suitable for reuse are identified at an early stage and sent for optimized recycling.
International insights: Scaling requires standards
2025 was also an insightful year on an international level. At trade fairs in Frankfurt, Bilbao, and Riyadh, the same question kept coming up: How can the circular economy be implemented on a large scale in photovoltaics?
The answer was consistent:
Without standardized testing, data, and process chains, both reuse and recycling remain expensive and difficult to control. Automation, traceability, and reliable measurement data, on the other hand, create a consistent system—from initial testing and reuse to high-quality recycling at EOL.
Research as the foundation for the next step
In parallel with operational implementation, we worked intensively on research and development in 2025. We are involved in several projects dealing with automation, AI-supported evaluation, repair, and the further development of machines and systems for PV recycling.
A key synergy effect:
The analysis from the reuse line—electrical characteristics, damage patterns, material information—is directly incorporated into the design of our recycling processes. The better we understand modules in reuse, the more precisely materials can be separated and recovered at the end of their life.
The focus is clearly on applicability: processes must function under real conditions—with large volumes, clear quality requirements, and economic objectives.
Growth with substance: financing and strategic partners
An important milestone this year was the successful seed financing round of around one million euros. In addition to existing investors such as Michael Altrichter and the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group, we were able to gain new partners, including eQventure, Angels United, and Buzzard Energy.
The financing enables us to invest precisely where it counts: in automation, scaling, and the further development of our reuse and recycling facilities. At the same time, it is a vote of confidence in a business model that makes the circular economy measurable, industrially viable, and economically feasible.
Our conclusion from 2025
2025 has shown that the circular economy in photovoltaics is no longer a topic for the future. It is feasible—if reuse and recycling are considered together and decisions are based on data.
For us, it was a year of progress, confirmation, and development. The foundation has been laid. The next step is scaling.
Do you operate PV systems or are you responsible for large module inventories?
We would be happy to discuss how reuse and recycling strategies can be implemented in practice—from initial testing to end-of-life.