Dive Brief:

• The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) has issued a new assessment on the sustainability of solar panels, finding German-based SolarWorld with the highest score over a five-year period. Jinko Solar had the lowest average score over the past five years. 
• The solar scorecard has been an SVTC initiative since 2010, and the group said that in the next two years it wants to develop the assessment into an environmental leadership standard endorsed by multiple stakeholder groups.
• But SVTC indicated some concern that smaller panel producers may not be accurately represented. The group noted that from 2011 through 2014 it focused on 40 large companies that make up approximately 80% of the market share. But as the industry has expanded, a similar number of survey respondents makes up a smaller market share.

Dive Insight:

SVTC's Solar Scorecard ranks photovoltaic manufacturers on actions such as "reporting emissions, using water and energy efficiently, avoiding the use of conflict materials and promoting workers’ health and safety," according to the Guardian.

The Silicon Valley group developed the report in 2010 to promote increased industry transparency regarding environmental impacts, and now intends to spend the next two years developing the survey into an environmental standard.

The group also said it wants to create a solar PV standard that meets the qualifications for consideration on the EPEAT Registry, the Green Electronics Council's scorecard for electronic products sustainability.

"SVTC strongly believes that the market should reward companies that are committed to environmental sustainability," the group said. "The Scorecard has already become a valuable tool for consumers and investors seeking to make environmentally sound choices.