Advancing Circular Strategies in Photovoltaics: Assessing Reuse Readiness Across Technical, Economic, and Environmental Dimensions in a Case Study

ABSTRACT The rapid expansion of photovoltaic installations, now reaching record capacities, is exacerbating end‐of‐life challenges in this predominantly linear industry. In response, two circular strategies have emerged in the downstream photovoltaic value chain: preparation for reuse and recycling. Contrary to the European waste hierarchy, recycling is widely prioritized as the primary end‐of‐life solution, whereas preparation for reuse remains limited in scale. Nevertheless, as end‐of‐life volumes rise, the potential for reuse increases, with a substantial proportion of decommissioned modules considered suitable for reuse. However, the reuse sector's growth is constrained by inconsistent practices, the absence of harmonized technical standards, restricted information exchange, and immature business models. This study addresses these gaps through an exploratory case study of the Swiss PV Circle project, assessing reuse readiness from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives. The results confirm technical feasibility, with cost efficiencies achievable via targeted preselection informed by maintenance records. Economic viability is contingent on module age, testing requirements, and prevailing market conditions, with labor and transport identified as the dominant variable cost drivers. Environmental desirability is demonstrated by the finding that reusing early‐decommissioned, low‐degradation modules substantially lowers greenhouse gas emissions, whereas the preparation process itself has a negligible impact. This multidimensional evaluation advances the understanding of reuse readiness and provides a foundation for further interdisciplinary research into practical reuse applications, ecosystem interdependencies, and enabling policy frameworks.