XPOGEN RESOURCES

Damaged Solar Panel Handover Checklist for EPCs and Asset Owners

Use this checklist before releasing damaged, failed or retired solar photovoltaic (PV) modules from an Indian project site. Record what you know, flag what still needs checking and keep the handover record.

Prepared by the Xpogen team · Sources checked 3 November 2026

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1. Record the lot and site

• Record the site, district and state, lot reference, owner and site contact. Say whether the panels are still installed or already removed.
• Record the approximate panel count or weight, its unit and whether it is an estimate. Separate visibly damaged, untested and tested panels where known. List loose components separately. Record the make, model, module technology and label or serial details when available.
• Use existing overview, label and damage photos. Leave climbing, disconnection and handling to qualified site personnel. See the solar PV material guide for lot descriptions.

2. Confirm who can release the material

• Identify the owner and record who is authorised to offer and approve transfer of the lot. Keep written release authority.
• Check whether warranty returns, insurance or salvage terms, financing or any other restriction affects release.

3. Verify the receiving route

• Record the receiving business, physical destination and intended activity. Confirm in writing that the facility accepts the specific material type, condition and quantity. Check relevant registration or authorisation and its scope for the proposed activity.
• If reuse is being considered, agree how a qualified assessor will evaluate suitability for the intended use. Record untested panels as untested. If ownership, material status or receiving eligibility is unresolved, pause dispatch.

4. Agree handover terms and responsibilities

• Assign safe isolation and removal where needed, storage, packing, loading, transport and unloading. Agree the schedule and the documents that travel with the lot.
• Confirm who pays each cost, how quantity is measured, when payment is due and how rejected material or quantity differences are handled. Agree what receipt and any applicable processing evidence the receiving party will provide.

Confirm loading and site exit before sending a truck

• Get written clearance for loading and gate-out. Ask the asset owner to confirm who controls site access and who can clear the vehicle to leave. Get the loading window, entry and exit gates, gate pass process, and a named on-site contact. Ask the owner to confirm the plan with site security or the site operator before the recycler dispatches a truck.
• Settle charges and delay costs in writing. List any authorised loading, gate or other site charges, who can collect them and what invoice or receipt will be issued. Agree who pays for truck waiting time, a return trip or rescheduling if access is blocked.
• Agree how to respond to a blockage or payment demand. Ask the owner whether anyone has previously blocked a pickup or demanded payment for loading or exit. If anyone obstructs the crew or asks for a payment outside the written terms, pause work when safe, avoid confrontation and contact the named owner representative and site security. Do not approve an extra payment on the spot. Once safe, record what happened and let the owner verify and resolve any claim through official channels.

If threatened, prioritise crew safety and call 112 for emergency help in India. Resume only when the site is safe and the owner or authorised site operator confirms clearance in writing.

5. Record dispatch, receipt and follow-up

• Keep the release approval, lot inventory, agreed terms and relevant dispatch or transport records. Record the dispatch date and quantity.
• Reconcile the quantity dispatched with the quantity acknowledged at the agreed destination. Keep the receiving party’s written acknowledgement and follow up separately on any required processing evidence. A receipt records delivery.

Official and industry guidance

• E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and CPCB e-waste portal and current guidance. Check current requirements for the specific material and route.
• NSEFI and SolarPower Europe end-of-life best practice guidelines, India edition.