Solar PV Companies Ranked

Online, April 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) today announced the release of its 2011 Solar Company Scorecard that ranks manufacturers of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules according to a range of environmental, sustainability and social justice factors.

The top score was earned by German manufacturer SolarWorld, with China's Trina Solar as the runner up. There was a three-way tie for third place among two U.S.-based companies, Abound and First Solar and REC from Norway. Silicon Valley's SunPower followed close behind.

Companies that participated in the survey were scored based on their responses to practices in the following areas: extended producer responsibility (EPR); supply chain monitoring and green jobs; chemical-use and lifecycle analysis; and disclosure.
Key findings from the scorecard include:
• Fifteen PV manufacturing companies that responded represent 46.6 percent of the industry market share, based on solar PV module shipment statistics for 2009.
• Eleven PV manufacturers reported that they would publicly support a law requiring mandatory takeback and recycling.
• Only two of the fifteen PV manufacturers report that their products contain no cadmium or lead.

The investment companies that supported SVTC's work in this area include: Henderson Global Investors, Boston Common Asset Management, Aviva Investors, PaxWorld Management LLC and Walden Asset Management.

For more information, go to www.solarscorecard.com.