Product Sustainability
Positioning solar as the clear leader on product sustainability across the energy world
Product Sustainability is among the most important drivers for solar energy deployment. Governments, businesses, and individuals across the globe have found PV as an answer to their climate concerns and to the need to align our energy system to the Earth’s environmental boundaries. Solar is set to play a leading role in the achievement of the 2030 EU renewable targets and the commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.
Thanks to rapid and continuous technological improvements, solar has become one of the energy technologies with the smallest carbon footprint and will continue this downward emissions track. Moreover, solar already shows clear environmental benefits across a large range of sustainability areas, including material and water consumption, human health, biodiversity preservation, and public acceptance. The industry aims to further improve its performance on all these different areas, positioning solar as the clear leader on sustainability product across the energy world.
Solar PV energy is 96% less carbon intensive than coal and 93% less than gas energy sources.
Solar PV recycling, which is already mandatory in the EU, caters to up to 90% of the weight of the component’s materials.
Throughout its lifetime, a solar installation will generate 30 times the electricity needed to manufacture it.
Nine out of ten people across the EU indicate solar as their preferred energy source to affordably address climate change and help the EU decarbonise.
The Product Sustainability workstream
The Product Sustainability workstream
The goal of the Product Sustainability workstream is to steer the political discourse related to PV sustainability at European level and shape policy frameworks on this area, while highlighting solar’s top sustainability performance to policymakers and the general public. Through the development of lifecycle assessments and standardised approaches in different sustainability areas, the workstream demonstrates the advantages of solar in comparison to competing energy sources. Promoting best practices and showcasing leading industry examples, the workstream raises the bar across the industry to further improve solar’s footprint. The Product Sustainability workstream is particularly active on the ongoing Ecodesign and Energy Label policy proposals on PV products, with the goal of ensuring that strong and future-proof measures are implemented for the EU solar sector.
The Supply Chain Transparency workstream:
In order to provide the industry with a strong tool to make sure that no solar PV modules made with forced labour can enter the European value chain, SolarPower Europe has created a Supply Chain Transparency working group and is developing a Supply Chain Monitoring Programme. The project aims to enhance end-to-end transparency and sustainability product across the solar supply chain, with the primary objective of monitoring social and environmental impacts along the supply chain. The project is supported by 30 buyers and suppliers of solar PV equipment, representing a major market share.
SolarPower Europe Statement on Human Rights
Interview with Chair of the Product Sustainability Workstream, Pia Alina Lange, EU Public Affairs & Policy Director, Trina Solar
The Workstream has the objective to create a versatile technical knowledge hub feeding into EU product sustainability legislation and standardisation.
Read the interviewDownloads
Solar, Biodiversity, Land Use: Best Practice Guidelines
This new toolbox for the solar sector offers guidance on identifying suitable land for solar deployment, and the potential environmental opportunities and challenges of utility-scale solar projects.
Download
Solar Sustainability Best Practices Benchmark
SolarPower Europe has launched the Solar Sustainability Best Practices Benchmark, produced collaboratively by many solar industry experts active in SolarPower Europe’s Product Sustainability Workstream.
Download
EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive
Upholding human rights and environmental protection as a collective endeavour. Taking the time to get it right. Sector-specific guidelines.
Download
EU Forced Labour Product Ban
Supporting the goal of ensuring products in the EU are free of forced labour. Maintaining a coherent approach with EU due diligence legislation. Ensuring legal certainty. Standardising import requirements.
Download
Recommendations for energy auctions under the NZIA
In a joint letter to EU policymakers, we and 22 European national solar associations set out their recommendations for an effective implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act.
Read the letter
Links
JRC Publications Repository: Preparatory study for solar photovoltaic modules, inverters and systems
EU Commission’s Solar Photovoltaics Product Bureau: website on preparatory and impact assessment study for solar photovoltaic modules, inverters and systems.
Solar Product Sustainability Best Practices Benchmark
Solar Factsheets Product Sustainability
Product Sustainability workstream Chair
Product Sustainability workstream Vice Chair
Members of the Product Sustainability workstream
