I don't think it's a trick. While I don't know the details about this plant, I've noted that a large number of solar panels are removed (and then disposed of) w

I don't think it's a trick. While I don't know the details about this plant, I've noted that a large number of solar panels are removed (and then disposed of) while they have some useful life left. To be clear, I'm not saying people junk panels that are still producing. But just for panels generating a standard "bucketed" wattage, a very small amount of damage can lead to a "defective" panel. By removing the silicone and/or glass, the still-usable parts can be recycled into what you might call a "remanufactured" panel. Or, if the cells have been in service for a very long time, by taking apart the panel, the cells can be recycled as high-purity stock. (In other words, ground up and used to make new solar cells.) None of this makes economic sense until it is being done at huge scale. Therefore, I expect this is plant is mostly an experiment, expecting that as the deployment of panels continues to grow exponentially, having a viable (and proven) recycling plant will grow in value proportionally to the panels.