Comstock Metals Expands Network - Launches End-Of-Life Solar Facility in California

Comstock Inc. and Comstock Metals LLC, a leader in the responsible recycling of end-of-life solar panels with the only certified, North American, zero-landfill solution, announced that it has secured its California-based facility dedicated to serving its California customer base, the largest single U.S. market. This first satellite storage and prepping facility is strategically located in the heart of the Central Valley of California. The facility represents a critical hub for the responsible collection, preparation and aggregation of decommissioned photovoltaic (PV) panels for ultimate closed-loop recycling in its fully permitted recycling facility in Nevada.

As solar energy adoption continues to grow across the western United States, the need for compliant and environmentally responsible end-of-life solutions is critical. Comstock Metals’ California facility is designed to directly support solar developers, utilities, installers, and asset owners by providing a centralized location for the safe handling, consolidation, and logistics coordination of retired solar panels.

Comstock Metals’ California facility can now optimize network logistics and costs for the western U.S. and:

• Enable direct support for solar asset owners, developers, EPCs, and installers;
• Enhance our ability to rapidly and fully respond to customer needs;
• Facilitate decommissioning efforts by providing a “local” base from which to operate;
• Centralize collection points for end-of-life solar panels in California; and
• Coordinate all handling, storage, and logistics coordination compliantly.

By enabling reliable, efficient, and compliant interstate transport and recycling, Comstock Metals helps reduce landfill disposal, conserve natural resources, and support the long-term sustainability of the solar industry.

“Our goal is to help close the loop on solar energy by ensuring that panels at the end of their useful life are managed responsibly and the critical minerals and materials are repurposed for productive use,” said Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, President of Comstock Metals. “This facility allows us to directly support California’s clean energy leadership while ensuring materials are transported efficiently to our specialized recycling operations in Nevada.”

The new facility in California accepts end-of-life and decommissioned solar panels from commercial, utility-scale, and other approved sources. Panels received at the site are prepared and optimized for transportation and shipped in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations to Comstock Metals’ certified recycling facilities in Nevada, where critical materials such as aluminum, silver, copper, gallium, and other metals can be repurposed.

“Comstock Metals is setting the global standard in solar panel recycling by creating a scalable, reliable, efficient, and optimized network of decommissioning, collecting, aggregating, storing and full-recovery processing (and ultimately refining) nodes designed and built for speed and scale,” said Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comstock. “Most of the industry is still getting their heads around the magnitude of inevitable end of life panels, measured in the tens of millions and then hundreds of millions, and growing, and our demonstrated ability to scale and meet those volumes delivers true sustainability and peace of mind to our customers.”