Australia's largest silver mine might not be underground.

The country's discarded solar panels contain a lode of the precious metal that experts at Macquarie University said they can harvest with a breakthrough process.

It's an innovative solution that regathers valuable components trapped inside end-of-life suncatchers, limiting the need for invasive mining for more metal.

The technique is unique because it leaves the rest of the panel intact for reuse in electronics and other solar cells, according to university publication The Lighthouse.

"We can selectively remove silver without touching other metals like aluminum, and without impacting the silicon cells and other components," research team co-lead Dr. Binesh Puthen Veettil said. "Our solution is like a pressure washer for removing silver."

A thin stream of weak acid is focused on the metal, dissolving it without harming the rest of the panel. It's a clear improvement on other methods that grind panels into a powder and use harsh chemicals to extract key parts.

The team already has a delamination process that uses microwaves to separate glass, silicon, and other components. Both are licensed to Australian metal recycler and refiner Lithium Universe, according to The Lighthouse.

The combination of the tech can reclaim glass sheets, silver, and silicon wafers from panels with a greater than 77% efficiency, per the report.

"Together, we are delivering a breakthrough recycling solution that recovers high-purity silver while preserving wafer integrity," Lithium Universe Chief Executive Iggy Tan said.

Solar panels are a clean-energy solution, and the technology is becoming increasingly efficient at generating free electricity from the sun without heat-trapping air pollution as a byproduct.

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Those fumes are linked by NASA to increased risks for extreme, life-threatening heat waves that could leave some places uninhabitable.

What's more, solar arrays can reduce or eliminate utility bills, too.

On the waste front, The Lighthouse reported that nearly 86 million tons of panel waste will need to be dealt with globally by 2050 as the suncatchers reach the end of their 25- to 30-plus-year lifespans.

Just over a million tons of the waste is expected to accumulate Down Under by 2035. Each panel holds about 20 grams of silver.

For its part, silver prices were surging in the summer of 2025, CBS News reported. Prices have hit more than $40 an ounce.

That's why reclamation is getting attention elsewhere, too. Researchers at Italy's University of Camerino are using a chemical reaction to harvest the metal. Experts in China are also figuring out how to recycle copper that's inside the panels.

While tens of millions of metals and minerals will be needed as we shift to cleaner technologies, it's far short of the 16.5 billion tons of dirty fuels pulled from Earth each year, according to Sustainability by Numbers. The Macquarie project can help to limit the mining needed for the cleaner tech even more.

"We're not just solving the solar waste problem — we're creating a new resource stream to meet worldwide demand," Professor Sam Muller said, per The Lighthouse.

Lithium Universe intends to commercialize Macquarie research leveraged through the connection by 2032.

"We have built a strong, solutions-focused partnership," Tan said.

EnergySage is a powerful partner for anyone considering a household solar panel array. The free resource can help you secure tax incentives before they expire at the end of the year, compare quotes, and find a pro installer. The guidance can save you up to $10,000, according to the experts.

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