Reiwa Create, supported by With More, launches next-generation flexible solar panel using BC cells that addresses solar panel disposal and environmental issues

Reiwa Create Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Representative: Kazuya Ehara), in collaboration with With More Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Kazu Ogura), is advancing the domestic deployment of 'REWA BC SOLAR', a next-generation flexible solar panel that clears disposal issues and environmental pollution risks. This product eliminates the weight, disposal costs, and hazardous substance problems of conventional glass panels, and has obtained global environmental safety certifications. It is gathering attention in the Japanese market, where the trend of mandatory solar installation is accelerating, especially in Tokyo, as 'solar power that can be responsible even after installation'.

[The era of just installing solar panels is over. The disposal problem is next.]

The Japanese solar panel market is at a major turning point. Since Tokyo announced a policy to mandate solar panel installation on new homes in 2022, administrative moves to promote renewable energy have accelerated. Subsidy systems to encourage installation are being developed by local governments, and the environment for deciding to introduce solar power is steadily improving. However, while promoting introduction, there is a problem that has hardly been discussed: the 'disposal problem'. Solar panels generally have a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, and panels installed from the 2000s to the 2010s will soon reach the end of their life in large numbers. The amount of waste is expected to surge after the 2030s, making it urgent to develop disposal and recycling systems. Reiwa Create, supported by With More, has started offering REWA BC SOLAR with this issue in mind. It is designed not just for high power generation efficiency, but as the most rational option when evaluated on total cost including future disposal costs and environmental burden. Reiwa Create is one of the few players in the industry facing the question of 'what to do after installation' head-on.

[Why conventional panels cannot be disposed of]

The reason conventional glass solar panels are difficult to dispose of lies in their structure and materials. Glass panels weighing 18-20kg require large trucks for removal. Removal work itself is costly, and subsequent sorting and processing are labor-intensive because multiple materials such as glass, metal, and wiring are complexly combined. Furthermore, some products contain materials with high environmental impact, and disposal costs can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of yen per panel. For houses with many installed panels, disposal costs alone can reach hundreds of thousands of yen. Heavy panels impose a double cost: difficult to install and difficult to remove. This structure is the root cause of the growing disposal problem alongside the expansion of solar power. Many homeowners and owners postpone renovations because 'disposal is too troublesome'.

[The answer REWA BC SOLAR provides to environmental issues]

REWA BC SOLAR, developed by Reiwa Create, provides answers from multiple angles to the disposal and environmental problems of conventional panels. First, from the perspective of material safety. One of the next-generation technologies attracting attention is 'perovskite solar cells', but some products use hazardous substances such as lead, posing environmental pollution risks at disposal. In reality, even as demonstration experiments progress domestically and internationally, many products cannot be launched for sale due to the hazardous substance issue. Regarding BC cells, all such environmental pollution issues are cleared. Having obtained global standard certifications, safety is high. REWA BC SOLAR has obtained international safety certifications such as PSE, CE, RoHS, and FCC, and third-party organizations guarantee that no hazardous substances are used. The fact that it does not pose environmental pollution risks at disposal will become an important criterion for product selection even in the future as regulations tighten. Additionally, the lightweight design of 6.5kg brings direct benefits at disposal. Compared to conventional panels weighing 18-20kg each, the effort of removal work is greatly reduced, and labor and transportation costs for disposal and collection decrease. When considering end-of-life costs, the advantage of lightweight design becomes clearer.

[Doubling the lifespan reduces disposal frequency itself]

Another approach to the disposal problem is improved durability. REWA BC SOLAR has an annual degradation rate of 0.35%, the lowest in the industry. While conventional panels see output drop by about 15% over 25 years, REWA BC SOLAR maintains 88.85% output even after 30 years. This is not just about power generation; it also means that the timing of disposal and replacement is delayed. Regarding disposal, it is easy to discard and easy to dispose of. And also it has about twice the lifespan of conventional panels. This is really about the future. The frequency of waste generation decreases and the ease of disposal improves. Combining these two points significantly reduces the overall environmental impact of solar panels. Furthermore, since the silicon material does not contain glass, material separation at disposal is simpler. The reduction in disposal costs directly translates into long-term economic benefits for homeowners and owners.

[Option to repower by attaching over old solar panels]

Removing old solar panels already installed on roofs involves significant costs and disposal processing expenses. However, REWA BC SOLAR can be directly attached on top of those old panels. It can eliminate removal and disposal costs while boosting power generation capacity to near-new levels. If you have solar panels that are about 10 years old, or even if wiring is not possible and they are left unused because of high costs, this solar panel can be attached on top of the existing ones. So it returns to like-new condition. Through repowering, it is possible to replace with new at low cost. Since no removal or disposal occurs, waste volume becomes zero, which is an excellent approach environmentally. For homeowners and owners, the elimination of removal costs also reduces financial burden.