We will explore zero-carbon solar, from ingot to module manufacture, plus cradle-to-grave product analysis. We will discover more about a holistic view of green energy generation that includes recycling, water usage, logistics, and more.

pv magazine 10/2023

Embodying change: Solar technology varies and solar manufacturing occurs in various parts of the world but the predominant technology relies on silicon solar cells, with a significant portion of manufacturing taking place in China. This leads to higher embodied carbon due to the production of silicon solar cells and the location of manufacturing, which often relies on an energy mix with more coal than renewables-based generation. At the scale of PV production in mid-2023, and beyond, the industry’s carbon footprint is significant, despite the generation of green energy by panels after their production.

Trina goes for satellite production as solar scales: China still dominates the solar world in terms of PV market size and production output but the future will be more about distributed production, said Helena Li, president of Trina Solar’s global solar product business. With vertically-integrated production well established in Southeast Asia, and a new module fab announced in the United States, Li says that the company is now embracing a satellite production model.

pv magazine 11/2023

Tackling Scope 3: There’s no simple fix for reducing Scope 3 emissions but there is an increasing number of tools and strategies available, finds Carrie Hampel, as she investigates how solar developers are tackling emissions reduction across their supply chains.

pv magazine 12/2023-01/2024

Greener polysilicon: It is not only solar module manufacturers that need to reduce their carbon footprint. The same applies to their material suppliers, not least polysilicon producers, given the emissions associated with the earliest stages of solar manufacturing.

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This page was last updated on December 5, 2023.