Photovoltaics Goes to Scrap — Quite Literally
The photovoltaic installation market in Poland has been growing at a very rapid pace for years. Thousands of households and businesses installed solar panels between 2018 and 2022, taking advantage of subsidy programmes. Now, as some installations require modernisation, repair or complete dismantling — for example when selling a property, changing technology or when a system is damaged — a practical question arises: what should be done with the cables that have connected panels to the inverter and the electrical grid for years?
The answer is simple: they are valuable non-ferrous metal scrap that should go to a scrap dealer — not to a landfill, not to a basement, and not to an unknown trader without documentation.
What Does PV Installation Wiring Consist Of?
A typical photovoltaic installation contains several types of cables and conductors. Each has a different material composition and, consequently, a different value at non-ferrous metal dealers.
- DC solar cables (e.g. PV1-F, 4–6 mm²) — connect individual panels and strings to the inverter. Made of copper, covered with cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation resistant to UV and high temperatures. This is a cable designed for 30 years of operation — its insulation is thick and durable.
- AC cables — connect the inverter to the distribution board or meter. Usually a standard installation cable (YKY, NYY or similar), with copper conductors.
- Earthing and bonding cables — most commonly bare copper or galvanised conductors, used for earthing the structure and panels.
- Signal and communication cables — e.g. for monitoring, energy meters, power optimisers. Thinner, with a lower copper content, but still suitable for recycling.
In an average domestic installation with a capacity of 10 kWp, the total length of DC and AC wiring ranges from 50 to as much as 150 metres, depending on the location of the inverter and the distance of the panels from the distribution board. In commercial and industrial installations, we are talking about hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of metres of cable.
Copper in a Solar Cable — How Much Is There Really?
This is a question asked by everyone who comes to a scrap dealer with cables from a dismantled installation. The copper content of a cable depends on its cross-section, the number of conductors and the thickness of the insulation. A 4 mm² solar cable weighs approximately 55–65 g per metre, of which the copper core accounts for around 35–40% of the weight. A 6 mm² cable has a correspondingly higher metal content.
For comparison: a standard YKY 3×2.5 mm² installation cable weighs approximately 100–110 g/m and has a copper content of around 55–65 g/m. This means that AC cables from PV installations are often more “worthwhile” by weight than DC solar cables — although the latter usually have thicker protective insulation.
At copper cable dealers, what counts is the pure metal content after processing or the estimated percentage content — which is why it is worth bringing cables sorted by type and cross-section. Mixing different types of cables in a single batch results in valuation based on the lowest-value component.
How Does Cable Purchasing After PV Installation Dismantling Work?
The procedure at EURO-SCRAP is transparent and consistent — regardless of whether you are bringing a few kilograms of cables from a domestic installation or several hundred kilograms from the dismantling of a solar farm.
- Cables are weighed on a certified scale — the weighing result is the basis for settlement and the customer receives a receipt document.
- Valuation takes into account the type of cable, the estimated copper content and the current copper price on the LME (London Metal Exchange) market, which changes every day.
- The transaction is documented in accordance with applicable regulations, including the requirements of the BDO system (Database of Products, Packaging and Waste Management) — a cable after dismantling becomes waste that must have a documented transfer path for processing.
- Payment is made in cash or by bank transfer — to be agreed for larger volumes.
If you run an electrical installation company, a photovoltaic service business or are professionally involved in dismantling PV systems — we can establish permanent cooperation terms. Larger batches of cables are priced individually.
What Happens to Cables After They Are Accepted at the Scrap Dealer?
Copper and aluminium cables are passed on for further processing by specialised recycling facilities. There they go into cable granulators — machines that mechanically separate the plastic insulation from the metal core. The result is clean copper granules (so-called copper granules) or aluminium, as well as a plastic fraction that can also be recycled.
In this way, the raw materials from a dismantled photovoltaic installation re-enter circulation — copper goes to smelters where it is remelted into new products, and the plastic can be used to produce new insulating materials or other products made from recyclate. This is a closed loop that makes sense both ecologically and economically.
Aluminium in PV Installations — Not Just the Panels
In addition to copper cables, a photovoltaic installation also contains a significant amount of aluminium — primarily in the mounting structure (profiles, rails, clamps) and in the frames of the panels themselves. Although this is a separate topic from wiring, it is worth collecting all aluminium components during dismantling and handing them in to a non-ferrous metal dealer together with the cables.
We purchase aluminium in every form: profiles, sheets, bars, mixed scrap. Aluminium prices are variable, but this metal is always in demand at scrap dealers due to its high recycling value — smelting aluminium scrap requires only 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium.
Where to Hand In Cables from Dismantling — Scrap Dealers in Greater Poland
EURO-SCRAP serves customers from across Greater Poland. If you are looking for a convenient scrap dealer in your area, check our locations:
- scrap dealer Buk — for customers from the western part of Poznań County
- scrap dealer Nowy Tomyśl — we serve businesses and individual customers from Nowy Tomyśl County
- scrap dealer Kościan — a location for south-western Greater Poland
- scrap dealer Rawicz — for customers from the Greater Poland–Lower Silesia border area
Every location has a certified scale, and our staff are familiar with the specifics of materials from renewable energy installations — you do not need to explain the difference between a solar cable and an installation cable.
Practical Tips Before Visiting the Scrap Dealer
Before bringing your cables from the dismantling, there are a few things worth doing in advance:
- Sort cables by type: DC solar cables separately, AC cables separately, earthing conductors separately — this will speed up valuation and may improve the result.
- Remove MC4 connectors and plugs if possible — connectors contain plastic and metal in proportions that reduce the value of the batch.
- Do not burn the insulation — burning cables to recover copper is illegal, harmful to health and destroys the value of the raw material (copper oxidises).
- If you are a company — prepare your BDO number or ask us about documentation when handing over a larger batch of material.
Summary
Dismantling a photovoltaic installation is not just a matter of logistics and collecting modules. The wiring that has been working within the system for years contains raw materials — primarily copper — with real market value. Rather than discarding them as waste or storing them without purpose, it is worth handing them in to a copper cable dealer, where they will be valued, weighed and directed to recycling in accordance with regulations.
At EURO-SCRAP, we purchase cables and non-ferrous metals from dismantled PV installations — both from individual customers and from electrical installation companies, renewable energy service providers and construction businesses. We invite you to get in touch and to visit our locations across Greater Poland.
