EPEAT Solar Category:
Verification Overview

Updated March 31, 2024

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EPEAT Solar Category Criteria
To be identified in the EPEAT Registry, manufacturers of solar
modules and inverters must prove conformance with all
required criteria for this product category.

Summary NSF 457 Criteria

If manufacturers wish to achieve the EPEAT Silver tier or
EPEAT Gold tier for their products, they must also prove
conformance with optional criteria for this product category.

concern• Recycled Content• PV module LCA• Reduction in LCA impacts• Energy efficiency and water use• Product packaging

Criteria for the solar category are contained in two
documents:••

NSF 457 Criteria: These criteria are for both solar
modules and solar inverters and address management of
substances, preferable materials use, LCA, energy
efficiency and water use, end-of-life management,packaging, and corporate responsibility.
EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria: These criteria arefor solar modules only and address embodied carbon.

• List and assessment of substances• Reduction of substances of• End-of-life management anddesign for recycling• Environmental, health and safety
management• Corporate reporting• Corporate social performance• Conflict minerals sourcing

Summary EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria• Criterion 4.1 – Low Carbon Solar (required): Embodied carbon of thePV module shall be equal to or less than 630 kg CO2e / kWp• Criterion 4.2 – Ultra-Low Carbon Solar (optional): Embodied carbon of
the PV module shall be equal to or less than 400 kg CO2e / kWp• Criterion 4.3 – Publicly Available LCI Data (optional): Primary life cycle
inventory data underlying alternative GWP coefficients shall be publiclyavailable2©2024 Green Electronics Council dba Global Electronics Council. All rights reserved.

Updated March 31, 2024 | EPEAT Solar Category VerificationEPEAT Verification for All Product Categories•To participate in EPEAT and have products appear in the EPEAT Registry, manufacturers of products in any EPEAT product category must
contractually engage with a GEC-Approved Conformity Assurance Body (CAB).

•CABs are impartial and independent verification experts that assess initial and ongoing conformance with EPEAT Criteria. Prior to products
appearing in the EPEAT Registry, Manufacturers must have conformance with all EPEAT Criteria verified by a CAB.

•To become approved by GEC, these organizations must have specific accreditations, successfully undergo an initial review and audit by GEC,and participate in annual audits against EPEAT programmatic requirements.

•A List of GEC-Approved CABs, and the product categories for which they are approved to provide EPEAT conformity assurance services, isavailable on the About EPEAT Page of the EPEAT Registry.

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Updated March 31, 2024 | EPEAT Solar Category VerificationEPEAT Verification for Solar Category•

For the EPEAT Solar Category, GEC-Approved CABs assess conformance to both NSF 457 Criteria and EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria.

•For Low Carbon Solar (criterion 4.1) and Ultra-Low Carbon Solar (criterion 4.2), additional layers of verification must be performed by different Verification
Entities (i.e., organizations that are not GEC-Approved CABs).
For All EPEAT Solar Category Criteria
Review evidence
Ask questions
CABFor all required criteria andall identified optional criteria(in both NSF 457 and EPEAT
Ultra-Low Carbon Solar)

For Low Carbon Solar (4.1) andUltra-Low Carbon Solar (4.2) Criteria

In addition to documentation for all other EPEAT Solar
Category Criteria, the CAB reviews information from thefollowing other Verification Entities:
Independent Third-Party Verifier

MFR

Identify products andoptional criteria

MFR
Answer questions
Submit additional
evidence

Designated Expert[only if alternative global warming potential
contribution coefficient(s) is used to calculate
carbon footprint, as per Path B described in theEPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteriadocument]

MFR = Manufacturer (company wishing to have products in EPEAT)CAB = GEC-Approved Conformity Assurance Body4©2024 Green Electronics Council dba Global Electronics Council. All rights reserved.

Updated March 31, 2024 | EPEAT Solar Category Verification

Basic Process Flow for Low Carbon Solar Criterion (4.1) and Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criterion (4.2)
Path B only (see note 1)
If Using Alternative Global Warming Potential
Contribution Coefficient(s)Both Paths (Path A and Path B)
Both Using and/or Not Using Alternative Global Warming Potential
Contribution Coefficient(s)Both Paths (Path A and Path B)

Develop AlternativeCoefficient

Designated Expert

Independent Third-Party Verifier

GEC-Approved CAB

LCA Practitioner conducts
LCA and develops
alternative coefficient(see note 2)

LCA, critical review andunderlying data sent to
Designated Expert

Where applicable, reviews information on alternative coefficient(LCA, critical review of LCA, and Designated Expert statement)

Verifies information package
from Independent Third-Party
Verifier (for criteria 4.1 and 4.2)
and verifies information for allother EPEAT Solar Category
Criteria

LCA Critical Reviewer
performs critical review ofLCA (see note 2)

Prepare package of LCA
summary and criticalreview for Independent
Third-Party Verifier

Designated Expert reviews
to ensure EPEAT
requirements for LCA havebeen met and alternative
coefficient is accurate

Prepares statement for
Independent
Third-Party Verifier

Prepares Verified Carbon Footprint and reviews all necessary information as per below. Note thatIndependent Third-Party Verifier can also perform the activities to generate the information
below or can facilitate the activities being performed.
•••••

Calculations in Table 1 in EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria document (for accuracy)
Supplier records / invoices (to confirm quantities in Table 1)
Facility inspection reports (to confirm locations and processes for facilities in Table 1)
Product data sheet
Laboratory report from testing of module against IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 (to confirmmaterials as per product data sheet)Prepares package of information for GEC-approved CAB including Verified Carbon Footprint.
Where applicable, package of information includes LCA summary, critical review of LCA, andstatement from Designated Expert.

Note 1: The process described here must be completed for each alternative global warming potential contribution coefficient used in the Verified Carbon Footprint.
Note 2: The LCA Critical Reviewer must be independent from the LCA Practitioner, and must meet the requirements in ISO 14044, Section 7.3.2.
The LCA Practitioner and LCA Critical Reviewer must be independent from all other Verification Entities [Designated Expert, Third-Party Reviewer (and laboratory and facility inspectors), and GEC-Approved CAB].
Participating Manufacturers or suppliers are responsible for engaging with the LCA Practitioner and the LCA Critical Reviewer.
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Updated March 31, 2024 | EPEAT Solar Category Verification

Verification Entities for Low Carbon Solar Criterion (4.1) and Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criterion (4.2)
Verification Entity

Designated Expert

Independent Third-Party Verifier

GEC-Approved CAB

Experience andAccreditation
Requirements

Must be on GEC’s List of Designated Experts. Must have at least
10 years of experience in conducting and/or reviewing technicalLCAs. Must have experience in engineering processes related toPV module manufacturing.

Must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17020, 17021, 17025, and/or 17065. Accreditation bodymust be signatory to IAF MLA (or ILAC MRA, if 17025). Must have experience in the PVindustry.

Must be on List of GECApproved CABs.

Independence

Must be independent from LCA Practitioner (organization thatperformed the LCA), Critical Reviewer of LCA, and GEC-Approved
CAB. Can be the Independent Third-Party Verifier.

Must be independent from LCA Practitioner (organization that performed the LCA),
Critical Reviewer of LCA, and GEC-Approved CAB. Can be the Designated Expert.

Must be independent fromall other Verification
Entities in this table.

Reviews LCA and underlying data and verifies:

Prepares Verified Carbon Footprint and reviews all required information. May also
perform the activities to generate the information below or facilitate the activities being
performed:

Verifies:

Actions
Performed•

LCA has addressed EPEAT requirements (as per Annex A2.3 ofthe EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar criteria document).

•LCA data related to alternative global warming potential
contribution coefficient are accurate.

•Energy assignment methods meet EPEAT requirements (asper Annex A2.3 of the criteria document).

•Notes:6If applicable, production of silicon ingot includes requiredelements/processes.

•If self-generated renewable electricity is included, there is nodouble counting of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs).

•

Resulting alternative global warming potential contribution
coefficient is accurate.

•Calculations in Table 1 in EPEAT Ultra-Low Carbon Solar Criteria document (foraccuracy).

•

Supplier records / invoices (to confirm quantities in Table 1).

•Facility inspection reports (to confirm locations and processes for facilities in Table 1).
Facility inspectors must be independent from the facilities being inspected.

•Product data sheet.

•Laboratory report of module sample (to confirm materials as per product data sheet).
Laboratory must be accredited to accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by an accreditationbody that is a signatory to ILAC MRA.

•Information for NSF457 Criteria.

•Information for three
EPEAT Ultra-Low
Carbon Solar Criteria(including information
package fromIndependent ThirdParty Verifier for 4.1and 4.2).

If an alternative global warming potential contribution coefficient(s) is used in the
Verified Carbon Footprint, also reviews information on the alternative coefficient(s) (LCA,
critical review of LCA, and Designated Expert statement).

• Only GEC can identify which organizations are Designated Experts and GEC-Approved CABs. Manufacturers are required to use one of the organizations on GEC’s approved lists.
• For the Independent Third-Party Verifier, Manufacturers may select any organization, as long as they meet the requirements for experience, accreditation, and independence.
• Manufacturers are responsible for engaging with all Verification Entities identified above.

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Updated March 31, 2024 | EPEAT Solar Category Verification

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
Cara Beatty
Director, Conformity Assurance
cbeatty@gec.org

7

Updated March 31, 2024

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