TG Companies

What TG Companies does

TG Companies LLC is a privately held solar technology startup headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, operating with a small team of 1–10 employees. The company develops and sells specialized equipment for end-of-life solar panel recycling, with its flagship product being the F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System. This system uses controlled thermal decomposition to remove ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant from solar panels at temperatures below 500°C, enabling recovery of intact, undamaged, and uncontaminated solar cells that can be reused in new modules. The core technical differentiation is a specially designed oven chamber that prevents iron and copper contamination during high-temperature processing — a documented failure mode of conventional furnaces used for this application. The system also includes an afterburner for exhaust treatment, and optional water vaporizer and preheating furnace modules that allow lower-temperature operation and improved temperature uniformity.

The company operates a direct, consultative enterprise sales motion, with pricing conducted via a 'Request a Quote' model and contracts structured as multi-year agreements. Its target customer base spans three segments: solar panel manufacturers (for repair, quality control, and material recovery), end-of-life solar panel recyclers, and academic or commercial R&D facilities. The company positions its full-material-recovery approach as generating sufficient revenue to operate profitably without government subsidies, framing this as a circular-economy solution to growing solar panel waste.

Financially, TG Companies has relied primarily on non-dilutive funding through the NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, receiving a Phase I award of $225,000 in June 2017 and a Phase II award of $732,880 in September 2018, for cumulative funding of approximately $957,880. No institutional venture or strategic investment has been disclosed. The company holds no disclosed patents or trademarks, and its public-facing website is dated 2018, with a careers page indicating 'Check Back Soon' — suggesting limited recent commercial expansion or hiring activity.

Name

TG Companies

Legal name

TG Companies LLC

Website

https://tg-companies.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TG Companies LLC is a Tucson, Arizona solar technology startup that designs and sells the F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System, a thermal decomposition oven used by panel manufacturers, recyclers, and R&D labs to recover intact, uncontaminated solar cells from end-of-life photovoltaic modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Recycling Equipment

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

akta.pro primary industry

PV Module & Panel Recycling (Glass, Silicon, Metals Recovery) (EUAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solar End-of-Life, Recycling & Decommissioning (Panels, Inverters, Racking) (EUAMABAM)

Keywords

• Solar recycling equipment
• EVA decomposition systems
• Photovoltaic panel recycling
• Solar cell extraction
• End-of-life solar

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Solar Cell Extraction Equipment Sales: Sale of the F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System and its components including the EVA burning oven, afterburner, optional water vaporizer, and optional preheating furnace. Equipment sales are the primary revenue stream.
2. Solar Cell Recycling Services: The company provides recycling services for end-of-life solar cells and modules, recovering all valuable components. The recovered materials can be reused in new cells and modules, generating revenue from the recovered materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

TG Companies designs, manufactures, and sells the F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System, a specialized thermal decomposition system that removes ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant from end-of-life photovoltaic panels at temperatures below 500°C to extract intact, uncontaminated solar cells. The company also provides recycling services for end-of-life solar cells and modules, recovering valuable materials for reuse in new solar products.

Product overview

TG Companies offers a focused portfolio of solar recycling equipment centered on the F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System. This single product line enables recovery of valuable materials from end-of-life solar cells and modules through thermal decomposition of EVA encapsulant, allowing recovered cells to be reused in new solar panels. The company operates as a solar technology startup pursuing sustainable solar energy infrastructure solutions, with no modular add-ons or separate product tiers described in available sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Solar Cell Extraction System: Equipment for extracting solar cells from solar panels intact and without contamination, including the F-500-A5 model with EVA burning oven capable of handling samples up to 12"x12" using thermal decomposition at temperatures below 500°C.

Products and services

• F-500-A5 Solar Cell Extraction System

Quantifiable outcome

• Complete removal of EVA below 500°C (lower temperatures reduce risk of damaging or contaminating the solar cell)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ROSI Solar: France-based startup specializing in high-value materials recovery from end-of-life solar PV modules using proprietary physical and chemical processes. Most direct comparable to TG Companies in targeting intact cell and high-purity material recovery from decommissioned panels rather than bulk glass/aluminum recycling.
• SolarCycle: U.S.-based solar panel recycling startup building high-throughput recycling capacity with a focus on recovering high-purity silicon and metals for reuse in new panels. Directly comparable to TG Companies on end-of-life PV recovery economics and circular-economy positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia: Global waste-management major with established PV panel recycling lines in Europe and partnerships with module manufacturers. Comparable as a broad incumbent that could either adopt TG-style equipment or compete against it with internal capabilities.
• First Solar: Vertically integrated thin-film PV manufacturer with an in-house, industry-leading PV recycling program that recovers ~95% of semiconductor and glass. Comparable as a broad incumbent demonstrating that closed-loop recycling is commercially viable, and as a potential customer or competitor to TG Companies' equipment-based approach.
• Renewi: European waste-to-products company with growing PV and electronics recycling operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the recycling end-market that could either purchase or compete with TG Companies' equipment.

Emerging players

• Rinovasol: German PV recycling startup focused on recovering high-purity materials from end-of-life modules using a combination of thermal and chemical processes. Comparable as an early-stage European peer pursuing similar intact-component recovery economics.
• SunR (SunR Cycle): Emerging solar panel recycling operator pursuing circular-economy recovery of valuable materials from decommissioned PV. Comparable as an early-stage peer working on similar end-of-life recovery economics.

Regional players

• Solar Recycling Solutions: Australia-based PV recycling services company operating dedicated end-of-life solar processing lines. Comparable as a regional recycler that could be a customer for TG Companies' equipment in the Asia-Pacific market.

Others

• Nabertherm: German manufacturer of industrial furnaces and ovens for materials processing, including specialty thermal systems for research and pilot production. Comparable as a potential competing equipment supplier, and as a benchmark for what scaling industrial oven production requires.
• Carbolite Gero: UK/German manufacturer of high-temperature laboratory and industrial furnaces for materials science and process R&D. Comparable as a potential competitor in the R&D/institution segment where TG Companies also targets sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tg-companies-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TG Companies