Nearly 500 photovoltaic module references had a simplified carbon assessment (ECS) at the beginning of August 2024. This demonstrates the wide choice of photovoltaic panels available to developers of photovoltaic power plants to respond to calls for tender on the French market. In this article, we present the ECS and its importance in decarbonising the French energy mix.
Discover the ECS
The ECS is an environmental impact certificate for photovoltaic modules. It focuses on the Green House Gas emissions linked to the manufacture of a module. The certificate’s score depends on the quantities of raw materials used in the photovoltaic module and the supply chain for the various components.
Understanding the ECS
The ECS assigns a “carbon score” to a photovoltaic module. The ECS ensures the traceability of the photovoltaic module’s components. The certificate details the entire supply chain of the various components. The certificate is valid for a maximum of one year from the date of issue. It must cover the production period of the photovoltaic panel. The ECS is calculated as the sum of the carbon impacts of the various components of a photovoltaic module. The process of assembling the components is also taken into account. Silicon, the raw material for cells, undergoes several transformations, from refining to processing into photovoltaic cells. These multiple processes are taken into account when calculating the ECS score.
Reducing your ECS score
ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, has established default values by country for each manufacturing process included in the calculation of the ECS score. These default values can be replaced by values derived from life cycle analyses (LCA) carried out on the various factories in the supply chain. PINK Strategy, recognised in France for carrying out LCAs and improving the ECS score, is the ideal partner to support you thanks to its solid relationship with Certisolis, the only French organisation authorised to issue ECS certificates.
How do I use the ECS certificate?
The ECS certificate enables developers of photovoltaic power plants to respond to public calls for tenders issued by the Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE), as well as the open call for tenders. The ECS score of the photovoltaic panel proposed by the developer has an impact on the CRE’s decision to award the winning projects in the tenders. The different calls for tenders to which a module can respond according to its ECS score are specified on the certificate.
It is a very robust methodology for calculating carbon impact and guaranteeing the traceability of the supply chain internationally recognized for its rigor. In addition to CRE grants, many developers and investors use this Simplified Carbon Assessment to measure and optimize the impact of their projects.