Companies like We Recycle Solar in Arizona are part of a growing trend in recycling and repurposing of solar energy technologies that have surpassed their useful lifespans. The company is refurbishing salvageable solar photovoltaic panels and breaking them down to recover aluminum, granular glass and other materials that can be reused. Meanwhile, researchers like Meng Tao, a Fulton Schools professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering, are perfecting processes for recycling all the various kinds of materials that are part of solar panels. Natalie Click, a materials science and engineering doctoral student working with Tao is improving the recovery of lead from solar panels so it can be used in other products.