Applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies to the recycling of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels constitutes a critical analytical and engineering framework to ensure the genuine long-term sustainability of renewable electricity systems. As early generations of utility-scale solar installations approach the end of their operational lifespans (25–30 years), evaluating the environmental and economic impacts of their End-of-Life (EoL) management becomes essential to prevent clean energy infrastructure from accumulating as electronic waste and hazardous material streams. The primary technical and engineering challenges stem from the robust structural encapsulation of PV modules, where silicon cells are tightly laminated between ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer layers, tempered glass, and metallic conductors, making clean mechanical separation exceptionally difficult. Consequently, conventional recycling processes suffer from high parasitic energy consumption and yield low-purity recovered materials, particularly solar-grade silicon, silver, and copper. Furthermore, LCA evaluations reveal that thermal decomposition and chemical leaching processes can generate operational carbon emissions and secondary chemical waste, potentially eroding the net environmental benefits of recycling if process energy and reagent inputs are not meticulously optimized. To mitigate these engineering bottlenecks and optimize LCA performance metrics, researchers and engineers have pioneered advanced technological solutions. These include high-precision thermo-mechanical separation and laser-assisted delamination technologies that strip polymer encapsulants without damaging underlying silicon wafers. Concurrently, green hydrometallurgical extraction processes achieve over 95% recovery purity for silver and silicon, enabling their direct re-entry into high-value manufacturing value chains. This framework is further reinforced by implementing "Design for Recycling" principles in next-generation module manufacturing and integrating PV recycling facilities directly with local renewable power supplies, minimizing the overall life-cycle carbon footprint and realizing a closed-loop circular economy for the sustainable power sector. Al-Mustaqbal University – The First Private University in Iraq