Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Mitsui Chemicals) and Sustech, Inc. (Sustech) have agreed to conduct a demonstration project exploring a new renewable energy installation scheme through the reuse of pre-owned solar panels.
Mitsui Chemicals will procure used solar panels decommissioned during the repowering of FIT-based solar power plants. Sustech will install and manage the reused panels, overseeing their operation and maintenance through its decentralized power management platform, ELIC. The two companies have been collaborating on solar power-related business since 2022.
Since 2014, Mitsui Chemicals has offered solar power diagnostics and consulting services—the company has conducted assessments at over 3,500 sites, amounting to more than 6 GW in total capacity. In 2021, Mitsui Chemicals launched an online diagnostic service capable of automatically determining operational status through real-time power generation analysis. Sustech offers ELIC, a decentralized power management platform, and CARBONIX, a carbon neutrality support platform.
Access to repowering projects could provide a stable supply of used solar panels. Additionally, an online platform could improve operational efficiency. Collaborations between large corporations and startups like this could help develop a viable power generation model using reused panels.
