Discussions on the Sustainable Photo voltaic Europe occasion, held yesterday in Brussels, reveal that clearly recorded and out there data is the important thing to making sure sustainable and moral practices all alongside the photo voltaic provide chain. And clear requirements for the accuracy and relevance of this data are wanted to make sure that all are shifting towards the identical goal. The day additionally noticed the launch of such a normal within the Photo voltaic Stewardship Initiative’s Provide Chain Traceability Normal.

December 13, 2024
Mark Hutchins

Sustainable Photo voltaic Europe, an annual occasion collectively hosted by trade affiliation SolarPower Europe and occasion organizer SolarPromotion, went forward yesterday in Brussels, and provided a full day of high-level discussions on the photo voltaic trade’s efforts to make sure its personal sustainability, and the rising significance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) components in buyer expectations, firm repute and monetary danger administration.

It was made clear from the beginning that interventions are wanted on the coverage facet. “Carbon markets can not clear up this alone, and we have to be certain that nationwide governments aren’t caught in a subsidy race,” Belgian MEP Sara Mathieu instructed the viewers within the opening session.

The scale and form of these interventions had been a lot mentioned for the remainder of the day. And key takeaways from these conversations quantity to a transparent for corporations to each report their very own supplies sourcing, labor practices and different components, and be open to 3rd celebration audits on these as properly.

Past offering ESG assurances, such data has useful functions in high quality assurance and figuring out duty within the occasion of guarantee claims, and for recyclers as properly, a lot of whom spoke of the problem posed by modules whose precise contents are tough to find out. Elements similar to whether or not glass incorporates antimony, or which materials was used as a dopant in cell manufacturing, can have a big influence on recycling, and a ‘digital product cross’ detailing a module’s precise contents would go an extended technique to fixing this.

Nonetheless, many additionally spoke of the present tangle of various requirements and practices ESG reporting entails. Variations between areas and regulating our bodies depart many purchasers confused as to what’s truly related or essential, and create a danger of ‘audit fatigue’ amongst many suppliers.

Traceability normal

The Photo voltaic Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has set itself up as an antidote to this, and yesterday introduced the publication of its Provide Chain Traceability Normal. Talking on the launch, Head of the SSI Secratariat Alexia Ruvoletto mentioned that the usual units a benchmark for your complete photo voltaic trade to stick to, to keep away from audit fatigue and guarantee collaboration as the entire provide chain strikes towards the identical goal.

The usual was developed following session with greater than 20 stakeholder organizations, and examined in audits of 14 websites protecting the availability chain from polysilicon to modules. It goals to create an “unbroken chain of custody” to make sure that “licensed supplies stay distinct from non-certified ones, reinforcing the integrity of photo voltaic merchandise,” in accordance an announcement on the initiative’s web site.

Recycling improvements

Additionally on present at Sustainable Photo voltaic Europe was a wealth of innovation within the PV module recycling house, with European and world initiatives exhibiting sturdy progress in automating and upscaling preliminary module dismantling processes, and extracting supplies pure sufficient to return into the photo voltaic provide chain. Making these processes less expensive, and limiting use of poisonous chemical compounds, are additionally acknowledged targets for the initiatives.

Curiosity in module recycling this 12 months was additional underlined when Jan-Phillip Mai, of German Firm Photo voltaic Supplies, acquired the occasion’s sustainability award, for his plans to open a module recycling heart in Magdeburg, Germany subsequent 12 months, and to scale to this up in 2026 to deal with as much as 36,000 tons of module waste per 12 months. The winner was chosen by attendees from a shortlist chosen by a jury.

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