EPEAT Program
Continuous Monitoring Outcomes Report
Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters
PV-2022-01
June 6, 2022

1.0 BackgroundEPEAT® is a comprehensive voluntary sustainability Type 1 ecolabel that helps purchasers identify sustainable
technology products and services. Central to EPEAT are conformity assurance activities that meet the technicalrigor and credibility needs of the institutional purchasers who rely upon EPEAT. The EPEAT Program ensures
the ongoing conformance of EPEAT-registered products through an ongoing surveillance process known asContinuous Monitoring. Continuous Monitoring activities occur throughout the year and test the ability ofParticipating Manufacturers to prove conformance with EPEAT Criteria on an ongoing basis.
Some Continuous Monitoring activities require that Investigations be conducted in discrete timeframes calledRounds. The EPEAT Program develops an individual plan for each Continuous Monitoring Round, which
specifies the EPEAT Criteria to be investigated, the method of investigation that GEC-approved Conformity
Assurance Bodies (CABs) must use and the specific dates when the Investigation activities must be completed.
The EPEAT Program also selects the Participating Manufacturers and EPEAT-registered products and assigns
Investigations to CABs, which must fully participate in and are responsible for implementing Continuous
Monitoring Round activities with their Participating Manufacturer clients. Participating Manufacturers arerequired to cooperate fully with their GEC-approved CAB during Round activities.
To maintain the level of transparency relied on by purchasers, the EPEAT Program publishes an Outcomes
Report at the conclusion of each Round to summarize the activities conducted and to identify the products andParticipating Manufacturers that received major nonconformances and the actions taken to restore accuracyof the EPEAT Registry.
This document summarizes the activities and results of Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-01 conducted
for the Photovoltaic Module and Inverter category.

2.0 Overview of Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-01
2.1

Investigation Activities

As per the published Round Plan, Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-01 used Level 1 Investigations(documentation review activities to determine Participating Manufacturers’ conformance with specific EPEAT
Criteria). Participating Manufacturers had a discrete time period to provide their CABs with evidence
supporting conformance with the selected EPEAT Criteria. GEC-approved CABs reviewed the documentation,
made recommendations on conformity based solely on the evidence provided by Participating Manufacturers,
and sent Investigation Reports to the EPEAT Program. The EPEAT Program made the final decisions on
conformity for the Investigations.

Global Electronics Council

Outcomes Report – Level 1 Investigations (P41B Issue2 Rev0)

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PV-2022-01 Outcomes Report

2.2

June 6, 2022

Criteria InvestigatedContinuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-01 focused on climate change. Climate change is creating irreversible
damage to the planet and threatening conditions for all life on earth—extreme temperatures and weatherconditions, rising sea levels, melting ice caps, and loss of biodiversity have already been documented as aresult of climate change. The primary contributor to climate change is the release of greenhouse gases into theatmosphere from the use of fossils fuels for electricity generation and other energy needs. The majority ofgreenhouse gas emissions from the electronics industry are often attributed to the supply chain, which
includes raw materials mining, manufacture, and assembly of electronic components, as well as transportationof the finished product. Additionally, the electricity consumed to power electronic products contributes
significantly to climate change as well. As a result, GEC selected Criteria which address these issues forinvestigation in this Round. The products for investigation were selected randomly using a random number
generator.
Table 1: Criteria Investigated in Round PV-2022-01
Criteria Number

Criterion Title

5.2.5

Avoidance or reduction of high global warming potential (GWP) gas emissions

11.2.2Reporting on additional key performance indicators

3.0 Summary of Investigations and Final Decisions on Conformity for PV-2022-01
Highlights from this Continuous Monitoring Round are:•2 investigations completed•

2 decisions of Conformance

4.0 Further Details on Nonconformances for PV-2022-01
All nonconformances must be categorized as either major or minor. Minor Nonconformances are non-criticalor clerical in nature and do not materially affect the validity of conformance with EPEAT Criteria. Allnonconformances that do not meet the definition of minor are categorized as major.
There were no nonconformances of any kind identified in Continuous Monitoring Round PVMI-2022-01.

5.0 Actions to Restore Conformance
Where the final conformity decision is nonconformance (whether major or minor), Participating Manufacturers
must make corrections to restore the accuracy of the EPEAT Registry during the Corrective Action Phase. Theseactivities may include providing additional evidence to demonstrate conformance with the criterion or
unselecting the criteria in the EPEAT Registry. Where the product was found nonconformant and is no longer
available in the marketplace, the product must be archived.
During the Corrective Action Phase, Participating Manufacturers must also develop Corrective Action Plans forother EPEAT-registered products that may be affected by the same underlying issue causing thenonconformance but were not the subject of investigation (called “similarly affected products”).

Global Electronics Council

Outcomes Report – Level 1 Investigations (P41B Issue2 Rev0)

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Since no nonconformances were identified in this Round, no corrective actions were taken.

6.0 Key Findings
6.1

Clarification of High Global Warming Potential Gases for Criterion 5.2.5

The EPEAT Program has previously clarified in the Conformity Guidance Materials for this criterion that due tono definition of high-GWP gases being included in the criterion or Appendix 8.A of the IPCC 5th Assessment
report, at this time, N2O and all F-GHG gases listed in the IPCC 5th Assessment Report, are considered in scope
for this criterion. F-GHGs in Table 8.A.1 of the IPCC 5th Assessment report include: Chlorofluorocarbons,
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons and Fully Fluorinated Species6.2

Variation Between Key Performance Indicators Referenced in 11.2.2 and GRI

The EPEAT Program has noted that the referenced key performance indicators in GRI Standards have changed
compared to the table in Criterion 11.2.2. GRI standards sections 303-2 and 303-3 no longer match Table 11.2
“water withdrawn in water stressed areas” and “water recycled and reused” respectively. Manufacturers must
disclose the key performance indicators identified in Table 11.2, even if the reference in GRI, SASB or SEIA haschanged. This includes disclosing water withdrawn in water stressed areas (instead now required as part of GRI
303-3) if the manufacturer chooses to include this indicator. This also includes disclosing water recycled andreused transparently, even if no longer included as part of GRI 303-3, if this indicator from Table 11.2 is chosen
by the Participating Manufacturer.

Global Electronics Council

Outcomes Report – Level 1 Investigations (P41B Issue2 Rev0)

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PV-2022-01 Outcomes Report

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Document Control and Change History
Issue1Revision01120Owner
EPEAT Conformity
Assurance Manager
EPEAT ConformityAssurance Manager
Senior Manager,
Ecolabels andResources

Global Electronics Council

ApproverDirector, EPEAT
ProgramDirector, EPEAT
Program
Senior Director,
Ecolabels andManufacturer
Resources

Description
Initial release

Reformatting of document. Addition ofstandardized text.

Outcomes Report – Level 1 Investigations (P41B Issue2 Rev0)

Approval Date

Effective Date2018 Dec 112018 Dec 112021 Mar 25

2021 Mar 30

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