The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) ranking shows differences based on environmental and social justice factors, including water use, worker rights and health & safety on the job, for the fifth year consecutively, reports Sustainable Business.com.
The top 5 solar companies are Trina Solar (scored 92), SunPower (88), Yingli (81), SolarWorld (73) and REC (71).
SolarWorld and Yingli have steadily recorded the highest, despite significant disruptions in the industry and SunPower has earned Cradle to Cradle Silver Certification for some PV modules, according to SVTC.
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Solar companies that scored less than 10 points are Hareon Solar, Jinko, Miasole, Suniva, Hyundai, Gintech, NBSolar and Andalay Solar.
10 out of 37 companies have annual targets for reducing hazardous waste, and SolarWorld, Yingli, REC and Sharp report on all chemical emissions during manufacturing.
Around 13 companies have reported on various categories of emissions including hazardous waste, heavy metals, air pollution, ozone depleting substances and landfill disposal.
Trina, Yingli and Up Solar have requested Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to take action on recycling for PV modules in the US, and 14 companies are in support of the US producer takeback law.
Around 12 companies are in the process of due diligence, even if no solar company can verify the absence of conflict minerals in its supply chain.
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The industry is increasingly turning to contract manufacturers, which now account for over 25 percent of the global PV supply.
SVTC is concerned that companies offering cheap products and hide their environmental footprint may be rewarded by the market, says Sheila Davis, executive director, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
It’s critically important for companies to collect and report chemical use and emissions data.The more transparency there is on this issue, the more likely it is that companies will be able to compete to reduce their emissions per PV module, said, Dustin Mulvaney, assistant professor, San Jose State University, science advisor, SVTC.
The SVTC plans to develop a standard using which solar suppliers can compare and evaluate their performance, in a way that meets the criteria of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and EPEAT Registry.
In concert with solar and green procurement leaders, and Green Electronic Council, SVTC is developing a strategy in 12-24 months.
Environmental procurement is greatly simplified when performance criteria are codified in credible leadership standards, says, Robert Frisbee, CEO, Green Electronic Council.
An action is needed to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in PV, develop responsible recycling systems, and protect workers throughout the global PV supply chain, says SVTC.
The actions may include taking responsibility for environmental impacts of its products, sticking to a mandatory policy for responsible recycling, implementing and monitoring environmental and labor standards throughout product supply chains and pursuing new approaches to work towards eliminating toxic chemicals.
Sabeena Wahid
editor@greentechlead.com