Vilnius-based solar module manufacturer Solitek, in order to go the extra mile on the road for higher circularity (improving end-of-life management), has put the composition of its modules into the SundaHus database, which consists of 90 substances with each having weight & CAS number indicated (A unique accession number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service).
SundaHus, a database platform for construction materials, holds over 50 000 products with data about toxicity, material composition, recyclability, etc. Soli Tek holds the highest rating of A compared to over 10 of other manufacturers in the platform. The rating was achieved for disclosing data about solar module material information, not having in its composition toxic materials, having a high recyclability value for a solar module, etc.
"With rising electricity prices and the EU's increasing focus on long-term renewable energy production and sustainability issues in this sector, SoliTek is looking for more and more efficient ways to align its products with the EU's Green Transformation challenges. Through continuous investment in technology and manufacturing innovation, we realised early on that we were ripe to offer a unique product to the European market - green solar modules from A to Z. We have been producing modules using only renewable energy (geothermal & PV system on the roof) for several years now and our modules have been awarded SILVER level status by the European Cradle to Cradle™ Product Innovation Institute," says Julius Sakalauskas, CEO of Solitek.
According to J.Sakalauskas, SoliTek's decision to publish its product data on the SundaHus platform enables more consumers to choose sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. This data is available to users of the platform, the majority of whom are project developers who want to select products with a high environmental rating.
Disclosure of information on the composition of the module allows developers to know which product they are choosing. For example, whether it will cause environmental damage during use, installation, recycling and other processes. For recyclers, it gives them data on what exactly is inside the module, which allows them to significantly expand their recycling options. High-value recycling can be achieved by knowing, for example, the material composition of the solar cell, what the glass is made of, what the strips are made of, etc. With this kind of information, recyclers can adjust their processes and sort recycled materials more efficiently. In order to maximise the value of recycling, SoliTek has decided to disclose data on the composition of the materials, so that recyclers face fewer problems in the near or distant future, and so that additional value is created for developers through environmentally friendly projects.
