EPEAT Program
Continuous Monitoring Outcomes Report
Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters
PV-2022-02
December 16, 2022

1.0 Background
EPEAT® 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 nonconformances and the actions taken to restore accuracy of theEPEAT Registry.
This document summarizes the activities and results of Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-02 conducted
for the Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters category.

2.0 Overview of Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-02
2.1Investigation Activities

As per the published Round Plan, Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-02 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.

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2.2

December 16, 2022

Criteria InvestigatedCriteria for investigation in Continuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-02 were selected randomly using a random
number generator. Each Participating Manufacturer was assigned two investigations, and any manufacturers
who received a major nonconformance in a 2021 photovoltaics Continuous Monitoring Round were assigned
one additional investigation.
Table 1: Criteria Investigated in Round PV-2022-02
Criteria Number

Criterion Title

5.1.6

Making alternatives assessment publicly available

11.1.1

Environmental management system (EMS) certification

11.2.1

Reporting on key performance indicators

3.0 Summary of Investigations and Final Decisions on Conformity for PV-2022-02Highlights from this Continuous Monitoring Round are:•3 investigations completed•

2 decisions of Conformance•1 decision of Nonconformance

Further details provided in Section 4Figure 1: Final Conformity Decisions for PV-2022-02(shown as percentage of total investigations)Global Electronics Council

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4.0 Further Details on Nonconformances for PV-2022-02
Table 2 below provides a further breakdown of the nonconformances by Criterion.
Table 2: Breakdown of Nonconformances by Criterion for PV-2022-02
Criteria Number

Criterion Title

Total Nonconformances

11.2.1

Reporting on key performance indicators

1

The nonconformance was a demonstrated nonconformance, which means evidence definitively showed that
the EPEAT Criterion was not met.
4.1

Minor Errors Versus Nonconformances

All nonconformances must be categorized as either a minor error or nonconformance. Minor errors are noncritical or clerical in nature and do not materially affect the validity of conformance with EPEAT Criteria. Allnonconformances that do not meet the definition of minor errors are categorized as nonconformances.
There were no minor errors and one nonconformance in Round PV-2022-02.
4.2

Minor Errors

For Level 1 Investigations, nonconformances may be categorized as minor errors for the following reasons:•••Minor human error in data entry (e.g., value cited for EPEAT-product registration is insignificantly
above or below the actual value).
Minor administrative errors (e.g., broken URLs, reports/certificates marginally outdated).
No documentation provided by a Participating Manufacturer where the Participating Manufacturer
indicated the product has reached end-of-life and is no longer available on the market.

There were no minor errors found in Round PV-2022-02.
4.3

Nonconformances

There was one nonconformance found in Round PV-2022-02.

5.0 Actions to Restore Conformance
Where the final conformity decision is nonconformance (including minor errors), Participating Manufacturers
must make corrections to restore the accuracy of the EPEAT Registry during the Corrective Action Phase. These
activities may include providing additional evidence to demonstrate conformance with the criterion orunselecting 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”).

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The following actions were taken to restore accuracy to the EPEAT Registry as a result of ContinuousMonitoring Round PV-2022-02:•1 investigation

Additional data provided by Participating Manufacturer, bringing the productinto conformance with the Criterion

Table 3 in Section 7 identifies the Participating Manufacturers and products that received nonconformances inContinuous Monitoring Round PV-2022-02.

6.0 Key Findings
6.1

Accreditation Requirements

Participating Manufacturers and CABs are reminded that some Criteria, such as PVMI 11.1.1 Environmental
management system (EMS) certification include language such as “Certification bodies shall be accredited by
an IAF member accreditation body to certify to the specific standard identified”. Evidence must be provided toshow that the certification body that provided the ISO 14001 certification is accredited by an IAF member
accreditation body to provide certifications to ISO 14001.
6.2

Disclosures Consistent with GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards

When data is required to be reported consistent with the topic-specific Standards in the GRI Sustainability
Reporting Standards (GRI Standards), it is important to fulfill all requirements in the GRI Standard as written.
6.3

Declaration of URL of Public Disclosure

Participating Manufacturers are reminded to ensure that all declarations of URLs for public disclosure in theEPEAT Registry are up to date.

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7.0 Identification of Nonconformances and Corrections Made by Participating Manufacturers
In the interest of transparency, the EPEAT Program identifies the Participating Manufacturers and products that received nonconformances and the actions taken to restore accuracy of the EPEAT Registry.
Minor errors are generally clerical in nature and do not materially affect the validity of products in the EPEAT Registry. As such, these are not identified in the table below.

Table 3: Summary of Nonconformances and Corrections Made by Participating Manufacturers
Participating Manufacturer

ProductProduct TypeCountry

Criterion Number

Criterion Title

Required or
Optional

Underlying Reason for Nonconformance

Corrective Action Taken

First Solar

Series 6 Plus

Photovoltaic modules

India

11.2.1

Reporting on key performance indicators

Required

Demonstrated nonconformanceManufacturer provided evidence which
demonstrated conformance.

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Document Control and Change History
Issue
1

Revision01

1

2021

Owner
EPEAT Conformity
Assurance Manager
EPEAT Conformity
Assurance Manager
Senior Manager,
Ecolabels andResources
Senior Manager,
Ecolabels andResources

Global Electronics Council

ApproverDirector, EPEAT
ProgramDirector, EPEAT
Program
Senior Director,
Ecolabels andManufacturer
Resources
Vice President,
Ecolabels andManufacturerResources

Description
Initial release

Approval Date

Effective Date2018 Dec 112018 Dec 11

Reformatting of document. Addition ofstandardized text.

2021 Mar 25

2021 Mar 30

Updated terminology fornonconformances to include“nonconformances” and “minor errors”,
in alignment with revisions to P66.

2022 Sep 152022 Sep 30

Outcomes Report – Level 1 Investigations (P41B Issue2 Rev1)

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