Media Release

Mangaluru, Jun 5: On World Environment Day, NIA brought designers, students and industry together to reimagine decommissioned solar panels as architectural materials

Nitte Institute of Architecture (NIA), Mangaluru hosted "After Watt," a design seminar exploring how end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) solar panels can be upcycled, on World Environment Day, 5 June 2026.

As India accelerates its transition to solar energy, a less-discussed challenge is emerging: the growing volume of solar panels that reach the end of their productive life. A typical panel generates power for roughly 25 to 30 years — but what happens after the watts run out? "After Watt" takes that question as its starting point, asking designers and architects to treat decommissioned panels not as waste destined for landfill, but as a raw material with a second life in the built environment.

The seminar examined how spent panels can be repurposed into façade elements, shading and louver systems, partitions, surfaces, carts and many other applications, turning a looming e-waste problem into an opportunity for circular, low-carbon design.

The programme featured talks and design discussions, followed by a design competition in which 25 students participated. On World Environment Day, NIA reaffirms its commitment to embedding environmental responsibility within architectural education and to preparing the next generation of designers to think critically about where materials come from and where they go.