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Transitioning to a circulator system require executive management decisions that prioritize designing materials, systems and products that eliminate waste and pollution and positively benefit the environment and the health and well-being of those involved in making, using, and recycling solar products.

The Solar Scorecard corporate governance section addresses issues that require front -end decision that leverage systemwide change.  

1.1. Are the manufacturer’s products EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registered?

EPEAT is the most heavily weighted points. The EPEAT certification is a third-party certification that assures basic solar industry sustainability practices and socially responsible management systems.  All solar companies will be expected to certify at least one product EPEAT (minimum bronze level) in order to receive a passing score in Solar Scorecard 2.0 chemical use section. 

2 of 40 Solar companies have certified to EPEAT

• First Solar
• Hanwha Q-cells

1.2 Does the manufacturer publicly commit to (within 18 months) develop a Chemical Management Policy that includes 2030 chemical reduction targets, timelines, and goals?

Currently, no company [i]posts a statement on their website committing to developing a chemical management policy with reduction targets, timelines and goals. However, some companies are taking action to reduce chemicals.

7 of 40 companies posted information on their website regarding toxic reductions.

Examples of leadership companies who post information on their websites regarding reducing  hazardous substances in their manufacturing process and products: 

First Solar is reducing the chemicals that it uses in its recycling process.  

Lead Free Solder

• Mitsubishi- Solder-free Cells The silver electrodes formed on the solar cell surface excel in environmental resistance. This has paved the way to the industry-first introduction of mass-produced "solder-coating less cells" — which, as the name suggests, require no solder coating. This removes lead which is harmful to the human body, while the expanded light reflection effects with the solderless status improve cell efficiency.
• Advancis- “modules are free of toxic components, such as lead and cadmium, and thus remain recyclable according to the EU directive.
• REC- REC has eliminated lead from all panel components, including cell connections, cross connectors and junction box soldering. This means the panel meets the European RoHS regulation for lead

Silfab- Fluoro-polymers are used in many backsheets today to protect the weak PET core layer. These fluoro components are toxic for the environment and expensive to process at end-of-life. Endurans® HP solves this problem because it’s designed for a circular future. Our backsheets are made from traceable materials with a low carbon footprint. They are toxin free; and they’re fully recyclable at end-of-life. In fact, we’re already recycling the waste generated in our manufacturing process.

Suntech- To reduce the pollution of heavy metals into the environment, Suntech Power is committed to R&D of new products and new processes. At present, in poly-crystalline cell production, the nitric acid texturing process has replaced the chrome acid texturing process. 

AUO-Development of water-soluble stripper Compared to conventional stripper liquids, the water-soluble stripper has a lower operating temperature so that machines use 15% less electricity. There is no reproductive toxicity and the wastewater recovered through distillation has lower COD.

1.3 Does the company disclose research and development investments into green chemistry and inherently safer chemical alternatives?

0 of 40 companies disclose types of  investments regarding research and development into green chemistry/inherently safer chemicals alternatives.

1.4 Does the company disclose its partnerships with government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that advance inherently safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (CoH).

0 of 40 companies disclose partnerships specifically to further research into hazardous chemicals reduction. 

1.5 Does the company disclose whether a board of director’s level committee is responsible for reviewing and providing oversight on safer chemical management and chemical reduction goals for the company?

0 of 40 Companies have a director’s level committee responsible for oversite on safer chemicals.

1.6 a-b Has the company integrated safer chemicals management indicators into the business’ materiality assessment process? 

1of 40 companies have integrated safer chemicals management indicators into Materiality Assessment: 

Hanwha-q-cells includes a  “Management of Harmful chemicals" as part of their materiality assessment.

2.1 Has the manufacturer participated in the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) survey?

The Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) iv is a chemical management framework used in multiple industrial sectors. The CFP enables a company to evaluate its use of hazardous materials in its products and manufacturing systems and prepares the company to execute subsequent reduction of chemicals of high concern. 

0 of 40 solar companies have conducted a CFP survey.

2.2 Has the manufacturer developed a Chemical Management Policy based on the CFP Solar Survey Framework?

A written corporate chemicals policy institutionalizes a manufacturer’s commitment to lead on safer chemicals and articulates to all levels of the business, as well as to its suppliers, what the company wants to achieve. At a minimum, solar manufacturer’s chemicals policy should outline their aspirations for: Embedding Safer Product Design, and reducing Clean Electronics Production Network’s process chemical targets Priority Chemicals — Toward Zero Exposure,  improving supply chain transparency, cultivating informed consumers, showing public commitment 

0 of 40 companies have developed a publicly available chemical management policy 

2.3 Does manufacturer require its suppliers to comply with Restricted Substances Lists (RSL) of chemicals in products?

Restricted Substance List (RSL) are intended to provide companies with information related to regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in their manufacturing production processes or in their products.

RSLs are utilized in other industrial sectors such as finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products. 

0 of 40 solar companies provide information on restrictions of hazardous substance beyond what is legally required.

2.4 Does the company annually report progress towards its chemical policy’s hazardous chemical reduction goals?

Manufacturers in consumer electronics, such Apple and Hewlett Packard and retailers such as Walmart and Target have implemented safer chemical management programs with chemical use reduction goals, definitions for safer chemicals and public disclosure on progress. These companies have leveraged independent tools such as the Green Screen for Screen for Safer Chemicals and the Chemical Footprint Project. Unfortunately, the solar energy companies do not appear to publicly share this information.

0 of 40 solar companies provide public reports on progress toward chemical reduction goals.

3.1 Is the manufacturer a Signatory to the Clean Electronics Production Network’s (CEPN’s) Toward Zero Exposure (TZE) Program targeting high risk for elimination or substitution with safer alternatives, in addition to the other program commitments?

Electronic companies such as Dell, Apple, Hewlett Packard are utilizing the CEPN TZE program to coordinate their efforts to reduce worker exposures to hazardous chemicals in their supply chains. The Toward Zero Exposure program is a relatively new program. 

0 of 40 solar companies are CEPN Toward Zero Exposure Signatories

3.2 Has the company publicly committed to becoming a program associate Signatory of the Toward Zero Exposure Program pledging their intent to join the program as they prepare to become a Signatory?

TZE Associate signatories are companies who have pledged their intent to join the Toward Zero Exposure program as they prepare to become a signatory. 

0 of 40 solar companies have signed up as Toward Zero Exposure associate signatories.

3.3 Does the manufacture report CEPN program progress according to CEPN TZE requirements?

0 of the 40 solar companies report progress on Toward Zero Exposure or other benchmarks for reducing worker exposure to hazardous chemicals

4.1 Does the manufacturer report annually on the total number of facilities that use the CEPN TZE process chemical data collection (PCDC) tool, how deep in the supply chain (tier) the tool is used and what action(s) they have taken to improve data quality? 

The Process Chemicals Data Collection (PCDC) Tool, developed and piloted by CEPN and similar tools developed by the Responsible Business Network (RBA) Network, are is a free and publicly available standardized reporting tool that improves the task of collecting and managing process chemicals data across the supply chain. 

0 of 40 companies disclose methods for chemical data collection and verification in their supply chains.

5.1 Does the manufacturer have a code of conduct?

A Responsible Business Code of Conduct guides a company’s business practices throughout its operation. The Code should also be embedded into the companies’ management systems to ensure the company respects workers’ rights, human rights, protects  communities, the environment and supports business ethics in global supply chains

21 of 40 Solar companies have a code of conduct.

5.2 Does the manufacturer publicly commit to principles of environmental justice calling fair treatment of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, and the meaningful involvement of communities in the development of the manufacturer’s policies and programs that affect the community’s natural surroundings, and the places where people live, work, play and learn?

Environmental and social justice seeks to come to terms with, and remedy, a history of unfair treatment of communities, predominantly communities of people of color and/or low-income communities that have been subjected to disproportionate impacts from one or more environmental hazards, socio-economic burdens, or both.ii 

0 of 40 solar companies publicly commit to Environmental Justice Principles. 

5.3 Does your company use the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool to screen for environmental justice concerns in regions where the company operates in the US?

The EPA Screening and Mapping Tool is online software that combines environmental and demographic data (collected by federal government agencies) to identify communities   disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. i 

0 of 40 companies indicate on their websites use of the EJ Screening tool or share the results.

5.4 Does the company identify and assess legacy pollution impacting communities that are marginalized, underserved, and/or overburdened by pollution in regions where their manufacturing facilities are located?

Legacy pollutants are chemicals, often used or produced by industry (such as manufacturing and mining), which remain in the environment long after they were first introduced. Inadequate wastewater treatment infrastructure, solid waste management facilities, as well as 

Even though solar manufacturers are not responsible for local or regional legacy pollution, assessing environmental conditions and taking  action to mitigate hazardous exposures of vulnerable communities is essential to sustainable economic growth and development,

0 of 40 solar companies have assessed legacy pollution impacting marginalized/disadvantaged communities.

5.5  Does the company provide an action plan to mitigate or address health and environmental impacts of legacy pollution impacting communities that are marginalized, underserved, and/or overburdened by pollution in the region where they operate? 

An action plan is developed by the solar manufacturer in collaboration with the community to take local or regional action to address environmental health or economic development concerns related to legacy pollution.  

0 of 40 companies have community action plans. 

5.6 Does the company describe how they engage with communities that are marginalized, underserved, and/or overburdened by pollution in the development of the action plan?

Community Engagement is collaborative process working  through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people. 

0 of 40 companies describe their community engagement processeso

5.7/5.8 Does the manufacturer indicate how the community action plan to address legacy pollution relates to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? If yes, does the manufacturer provide what metrics, goals and timelines to measure progress toward achieving the UN SDG?

Over half of the solar companies surveyed utilize the UN SDG icons on their websites and commitment to achieving the UN SDGs, however, the websites do not share the companies’ methods for measuring long term progress toward achieving the SDGs.

21 of 40 companies use the UN SDG icons. 

5.9 Does the company annually report progress toward achieving its SDG community action plan(s).

Several solar companies such as Hanwha Q-Cells and First Solar’s websites provide information about their charitable giving activities. Although, the charitable-giving programs provide innovative solutions to local water pollution problems, the companies do not share long,  or short term goals, metrics, timelines in which to measure the respective progress toward 2030 SDGs. In 2022 FS provided a $20,000 grant to support Toledo’s participation in a regional civic hacking competition designed to develop water quality testing technology. First Solar’s collaboration with the city of Toledo and non-governmental organization to improve methods for testing water quality is a positive step toward community engagement, however, the company does not report on the outcome of the program or if the  hackathon produced new devices. 

In June 2019, Hanwha Solutions donated solar panels for making solar-powered waste boats  that collect 400-500 kg of floating garbage  on the Mekong River for 6-7 hours every day. While the program has won the New York Festival 2020 advertising award, and a successful 13 million views on social media, Hanwha Q Cells continues to provide cursory information about Mekong River Cleanup Campaign in its 2023 sustainability report, however, the Mekong River Cleanup updates, the company does not provide annual reports or  metrics used to measure progress toward successfully achieve the 2030 goals or if the program is slated for duplication in other geographical regions.  Without publishing long term   measures for successfully achieve its SDG 2030 goals, such programs that proactively help the regions will continue to marginal or appears to serve as a media opportunity rather than credible solutions. 

The Solar Scorecard encourages charitable giving, however, charitable giving programs should reflect community goals baseline, indictors, metrics used to measure progress.

0 of 40 companies annually report on progress toward achieving its SDG based on a community action plan

  The Solar Scorecard will score solar companies websites using the Solar scorecard chemical use and EJ questionnaire. 

The Solar Scorecard 2.0 team researcher will search the manufacturer’s website for information related to the survey questions by using  the following search protocol. 

1. Search the website front page for a link to sustainability page  or other links to environmental information.   
2. Search the sustainability page that links from the front page for participation and verification in the program, and/or 
3. Search the manufacturers ESG or Sustainability document using the following search terms related to questions. 
4. Confirm information through third party verification.

The Solar Scorecard internet research team comprised of Stanford University and California State University-San Jose students, focus on the following tenants of transparency : Clarity, accuracy, availability, and disclosure.

Access

• Navigation: The Solar Companies’ Sustainability information should be easy to navigate from the homepage pull down menu or link to the sustainability page. 
• Information included in sustainability reports, annual reports or financial reports should be easy to find in the table of content or through a document search.
• We encourage companies to use, icons, infographics, pictures and other visual aids that help the viewer understand the environmental data, and complex ideas related to sustainability (examples of suggested icons attached)

Clarity

• Clarity  in language is also important. Companies are encouraged  to use the NSF standards section on  definitions and acronyms. 

Disclosure

• Disclosure is not about quantity of information but relevancy
• Webpage provide links to disclosure documents or documentary evidence to back up environmental reporting?
• Are documents used to support sustainability claims?
• Disclosure warrants a careful consideration of the most relevant information to disclose. 

Accuracy 

• Does the website environmental reporting  abide by definitions and acronyms  outlined in NSF NSF/ANSI 457 - 2019 Sustainability Leadership Standard for Photovoltaic Modules and Photovoltaic Inverters.  (Section 3.0, pages 7-13)?
• Are units of measure reported in metric units?
• Is the sustainability information provided on the website less than  2 years old?