System Decommissioning
The process of safely removing a solar or battery system at end of life: disconnecting from grid, removing panels and racking, filling roof penetrations, recycling or disposing of components.
Why It Matters
Decommissioning costs $1,000-3,000 for a typical residential system. Some installer contracts include decommissioning; others do not. Ask before signing.
Related Terms
End-of-Life Recycling (Solar)
The process of recovering valuable materials (silicon, silver, copper, aluminum, glass) from decommissioned solar panels. The EU mandates solar recycling; US federal regulation is still developing.
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
A comprehensive analysis of a product's environmental impacts across its entire life cycle: raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal/recycling.