STS has launched more than 6 months ago the Sustainable Supply Chain Program where module buyers across the globe join forces, share costs, and defined common requirements to evaluate the level of maturity of their suppliers.

This year, STS joined Solar & Storage Finance USA 2021 and present on the topic of sustainable supply chain, especially in the perspective of lenders and financiers.

Here below is a recap from Dr. Frederic Dross speaking at this event as VP of Strategic Development at STS.

Sustainable supply chain is an upcoming requirement in the solar industry as many players in this industry are deploying these principles of sustainable sourcing (Environmentally Responsible, Economically Viable, and Socially Responsible). Traceability is the backbone of sustainable supply chains.

Nowadays, solar and storage industries are moving forward in sustainability with individual efforts and industry collaboration. Most noteworthy examples include SolarPower Europe’s Supply Chain Monitoring Program and SEIA’s Solar Supply Chain Traceability Protocol. For both initiatives, STS has been hired to provide our technical expertise.

In addition to these initiatives, STS has launched more than 6 months ago the Sustainable Supply Chain Program where module buyers across the globe join forces, share costs, and defined common requirements to evaluate the level of maturity of their suppliers. The Program was limited to a number of buyers so far but is now opening to more buyers. It is today representing more than 25GW of annual buying power. Today STS has evaluated the supply chain of factories representing more than 30GW of annual capacity. The results are starting to show some trends:

– Typically module suppliers have robust traceability management systems in place with well-established internal rules. However, the requirements may not always be extended to the entire supply chain, creating gaps in visibility;

– Typical manufacturers would also have supply chain security measures in place, but they may not always be fully integrated with the quality management systems and policies, therefore limiting their impact.

Recommendation:

– Include traceability/sustainability requirements into quality management plan

– Results from supply chain assessments feed into supplier qualification process