Product Sustainability

Product sustainability is among the most important drivers for solar energy deployment.

Governments, businesses, and individuals across the globe have found solar PV as an answer to their climate concerns and to the need to align their energy systems to the earth’s environmental boundaries. Solar PV continues to increase its share in national and European electricity mixes year-by-year and 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 PV has become one of the energy technologies with the smallest carbon footprint and will continue this downward emissions track. This happens through the increased deployment of renewable energy globally and through product innovation in the industry. Moreover, solar PV already shows clear environmental benefits across a large range of sustainability areas, including material and water consumption, circularity, human health, biodiversity preservation, and public acceptance. The industry aims to further improve its performance in all these different areas, positioning solar as the clear leader in sustainable products across the energy world.

96% less carbon intensive than coal, solar PV also emits 93% less than gas-based energy sources. Up to 90% of a solar PV component’s material weight is recovered through recycling, which is already mandatory in the EU.

30x the electricity required for its manufacturing is generated by a solar installation over its lifetime.

9/10 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

SolarPower Europe’s Product Sustainability Workstream looks to steer the political discourse related to solar PV sustainability at the European level and shape policy frameworks in 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 continuously aims to raise the bar across the industry to further improve the carbon footprint of solar, while ensuring the technology remains affordable and accessible.

Together with SolarPower Europe members the scope of the Workstream covers all policy related to putting solar PV on the market, such as the ongoing PV Ecodesign and Energy Label policy proposals on PV products or the REACH Directive. The Product Sustainability Workstream is also active on improving the conditions regarding sustainable end-of-life management, dealing with files such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, the Circular Economy Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act.

The goal of the Workstream is to ensure that strong and future-proof measures are implemented for a sustainable European solar sector.

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Product Sustainability accomplishments

→ Publication of the report “Sustainable Solar: Environmental, Social and Governance Action along the Value chain” – a 360 degree reference point for PV sustainability.→ The Workstream brings together stakeholders across the PV value chain to steer the European Commission’s legislative initiatives towards pragmatic and effective sustainability policy to be developed from the Net-zero Industry Act to PV Ecodesign.→ Established the Sustainable Solar Europe conference and European Solar Sustainability Awards for key opportunities to lead on and showcase sustainability efforts within the solar sector in the EU.

Interview with Pia Alina Lange, Chair of the Workstream Chair of the Product Sustainability Workstream

The goal of the Product Sustainability Workstream is to steer the political discourse related to PV sustainability at the European level and shape policy frameworks in this area, while highlighting solar’s strong sustainability performance to policymakers and the general public. It also aims to establish a dynamic technical knowledge hub that contributes to EU product sustainability legislation and standardisation.

Read the interview