SunPower Now Manufacturing All Direct-Current E-Series & X-Series Solar PV Panels To Meet Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver Standards
SunPower is now manufacturing all of its direct-current E-Series and X-Series solar photovoltaic panels to meet Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver standards, according to a new press release.
For those that are unfamiliar with the Cradle to Cradle certification process, here’s a brief overview — the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute evaluates products to determine the degree of material reutilization, material health, water stewardship, renewable energy use, and social fairness.
“Consumers can drive significant environmental change by supporting products that are sustainably designed, sourced and manufactured, and Cradle to Cradle certification provides trusted validation that these products are made with minimal impact to our earth and local communities,” stated Lewis Perkins, president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. “We congratulate SunPower for their commitment to helping residential and commercial customers reach their long-term sustainability goals whether it be by achieving LEED certification for a building or reducing a home’s carbon footprint with Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver solar panels.”
The announcement means that 4 of the company’s production facilities — found in France, Mexico, and the Philippines — are now manufacturing Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. These are apparently the only solar panels out there currently that are certified as such.
The production sites are now working to become “triple certified,” meaning that they are all working on a “landfill-free” certification and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The press release provides more:
At the end of 2015, SunPower facilities in De Vernejoul and Toulouse, France, joined the company’s Mexicali facility in earning landfill-free verification from NSF Sustainability, a division of the global public health organization NSF International.
SunPower continues to earn industry recognition for its sustainability initiatives. Most notably, the company placed first in the 2015 Solar Scorecard released by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), showing leadership in manufacturing solar panels according to environmental, sustainability and social justice factors. In 6 years of the report being published, SunPower received the highest rating ever acquired by a participating solar company with 97 points.
“Achieving landfill-free status and having it verified by NSF Sustainability shows the commitment that SunPower is making to more sustainable operations,” stated Jenny Oorbeck, General Manager of NSF International’s Sustainability Division. “We congratulate SunPower on these waste reduction accomplishments.”
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