Sustainable Production of Solar Modules

Polycrystalline silicone rod (upper right), wafers (lower right), and solar cells (left).

Much of the polycrystalline silicon (see above photos) used in the solar cells that make up a solar module (i.e., panel) is manufactured in the Xinjiang province of northwestern China, where the mostly Muslim Uyghur population has allegedly been forced to do this work through labor camps. Since this major human rights issue has come to light, measures have been taken to minimize the amount of material sourced from the region.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has been a leader in the development of such measures. As one example, in an attempt to increase transparency and assure U.S. solar consumers that the solar products they purchase are indeed sustainable and free of forced labor practices, the SEIA developed the Solar Supply Traceability Protocol 1.0 ("Protocol"). (If interested, the Protocol can be found here.) The Protocol ensures sustainability and transparency by focusing on the source of raw materials and by tracing the movement of these materials throughout the supply chain. And the most important aspect of the Protocol is that it employs the participation of an independent, third-party audit to assure a company's use of traceability policies and procedures.

Both manufacturers and buyers of solar modules have a role to play in the successful implementation of the Protocol. Manufacturers are responsible for describing the supply chain used to manufacture the solar modules while identifying each of the components of the product and their origin. The buyer on the other hand is responsible for ensuring that the principles of the Protocol are applied by the manufacturer. This can be accomplished using the SEIA Buyer's Guide and by asking the following questions:

• Does the supplier follow the SEIA Traceability Protocol?

• Do the manufacturer/suppliers have a social responsibility code of conduct in place that can be shared? Is it communicated with their own suppliers?

• Are steps taken to ensure compliance with U.S. laws and regulations?

• Can the locations of product manufacturing and source materials be provided? Are independent audits performed to ensure fair labor practices and other sustainability measures are being followed?

• Can the most recent audit reports be shared? Was the audit conducted by an independent third-party? Are the audits announced, and how often are they conducted?

The answers to the above questions should provide you as the buyer sufficient information to be able to choose between different solar companies based on the sustainability and social responsibility of their suppliers and operations. Even if you are planning to subscribe to community solar (to be addressed in another article), you can ask the solar farm whether they have explored these questions with the manufacturer they decided to use.

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Helpful Hint

Prior to installing solar modules or subscribing to community solar, find out from whom the seller or farm typically purchases their modules and whether they would be willing to ask the seller sourcing questions similar to those listed above.