Solar Manufacturers
EPEAT®, the leading global Type 1 ecolabel for electronics, offers manufacturers meaningful criteria, third party verification, and easy to understand frameworks that provide transparency for buyers.
The EPEAT Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters (PVMI) Criteria, as well as its accompanying Ultra Low Carbon Solar Criteria for solar modules, offer several unique opportunities for manufacturers and their customers.
Opportunities for Manufacturers
Leadership Positioning
Stand out among manufacturers by offering low embodied carbon products critical to effective Scope 3 emissions reductions
Product Design and Supply Chain Criteria
EPEAT Criteria address climate change and labor issues that are a common focus of most ESG and CSR initiatives and reporting.
Third-Party Verification
EPEAT-registered products are trusted as meeting rigorous criteria across the entire product lifecycle, from the extraction of resources and manufacturing, through assembly, use, and end of life.
Awareness Among Institutional Purchasers
Gain access to purchasers who stipulate EPEAT-registered products in contracts.
U.S. EPA Recommendations of Standards and Ecolabels
The U.S. EPA includes EPEAT-registered solar panels in its recommendations of standards and ecolabels.
EPEAT SOLAR MODULAR CARBON THRESHOLDS
While solar modules are known for their carbon-free electricity generation, many are manufactured in ways that limit their overall effectiveness at emissions reduction. Currently, most solar modules can trace 50% to 80% or more of their embodied carbon to these initial steps in their product supply chains. As the energy sector and its clients seek to reduce Scope 3 emissions, they must address the embodied carbon of solar energy.
EPEAT is the only global ecolabel to tackle the often-overlooked issue of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during solar module production, enabling purchasers, developers and investors to lower their overall carbon footprint for this key part of the renewable energy infrastructure. In addition to the required PVMI criteria, solar modules must also meet or surpass a required low-carbon threshold, which can be found in the EPEAT Ultra Low Carbon Threshold criteria. This second set of criteria do not apply to solar inverters.
This second set of solar module criteria also contains a lower optional carbon threshold manufactures can meet.
630
kg CO₂e /kWp
Required: Low Carbon Solar
Solar Modules must to meet this threshold in order to become EPEAT registered.
400
kg CO₂e /kWp
Optional: Ultra-Low Carbon Solar
Solar Modules that meet this threshold qualify for the EPEAT Climate+ ™ product designation.
EPEAT CLIMATE+™
EPEAT Climate+™ is a product designation that helps electronics purchasers quickly find products verified to have met all required EPEAT Climate Criteria. Products meeting these criteria are ideal for organizations seeking to track and achieve climate impact goals related to their procurement.
Solar Modules registered with the Climate+ designation have met the ultra low carbon threshold, making them leaders among the low carbon solar modules available on the EPEAT Registry. Modules are given special recognition among other industry-leading electronics including computers & displays, imaging equipment, mobile phones, televisions, and servers.
GEC CLIMATE+ PLEDGE
The GEC Climate+ Pledge seeks to harness the purchasing power of organizations committed to tracking and reducing their carbon footprint associated with electronic products. The pledge brings together the leadership and influence of these organizations to reduce the climate impacts of electronic products. By signing this pledge, participants become integral members of a thriving community of climate leaders and advocates.
Understanding that organizations contribute in different ways, this pledge will consist of two primary groups of signatories: EPEAT Climate+ Purchasing Leaders and EPEAT Climate+ Purchasing Advocates. Purchasing Leaders are organizations committed to purchasing Climate+ Products, while Purchasing Advocates are Organizations and Individuals Advocating and Promoting EPEAT Climate+ Products.
How Manufacturers Can Register Qualified Products on the EPEAT Registry
STEP 1: REVIEW APPLICABLE EPEAT CRITERIA
Manufacturers should first review the EPEAT Criteria for the Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters product category and the EPEAT Criteria for the Assessment of Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Modules to understand the requirements and determine what’s needed to meet all required criteria.
STEP 2: COMPLETE FORMS FOR EPEAT PARTICIPATION
Manufacturers who are interested in registering their products with EPEAT sign the EPEAT License and Participating Manufacturer Agreement. Manufacturers must also complete the EPEAT Participating Manufacturer Information Form and pay the EPEAT Participating Manufacturer fees.
STEP 3: CONTRACT WITH AN APPROVED CAB AND UNDERGO PRODUCT REVIEW
Manufacturers must work with one of the certification and testing organizations that make up EPEAT’s global network of Conformity Assurance Bodies (CABs) to demonstrate conformance with EPEAT Criteria and pay the appropriate fee for that service. Fees are set independently by each CAB.
Step 4: PRODUCTS APPEAR IN THE EPEAT REGISTRY
Once an approved CAB has confirmed that a Manufacturer and its product meet EPEAT Criteria, the product will appear in the EPEAT Registry and be viewable and searchable by purchasers.
Have Questions About the Process?
Please reach out to us directly at epeat@gec.org.
