There is no clear indication from the available information that any specific region is globally recognized as distinctly more sustainable in solar panel production practices compared to others. However, some insights can be drawn about the state of solar panel manufacturing and efforts related to sustainability:
- China dominates solar panel production globally, accounting for over 80% of the manufacturing stages including polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells, and modules. This dominance extends to nearly 95% of polysilicon, ingot, and wafer production expected soon due to new capacity under construction. China’s massive scale has helped dramatically lower costs for solar PV worldwide. However, this heavy concentration also raises concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities and sustainability challenges.
- Within China, innovative approaches like photovoltaic greenhouses in Hainan integrate solar energy with agriculture, enhancing sustainability by combining crop production with electricity generation. This dual use of land supports year-round crop growth and clean energy production, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving land resources.
- The global solar PV supply chain is currently very concentrated, mainly in China, and efforts are being discussed to diversify manufacturing to ensure a more secure and potentially more sustainable transition to net zero emissions.
- Other sustainability-focused strategies for solar energy include siting solar farms to avoid prime agricultural lands and preserving natural habitats, which are crucial to maintain environmental sustainability in solar installations, though these apply more to solar farm operation than panel manufacturing itself.
Summary
While China leads in solar panel production capacity and has pioneered some sustainable integrated solutions (e.g., agrivoltaics in Hainan), no region is explicitly identified as having broadly superior sustainable manufacturing practices for solar panels. The current dominance of China suggests that sustainability improvements in manufacturing could be most impactful there, but global efforts aim to diversify supply chains for resilience and sustainability enhancement.
Thus, known regions with notable sustainable solar practices primarily relate to innovative combined land-use approaches (like agrivoltaics in Asia) rather than wholesale sustainable manufacturing dominance. The global industry is still evolving toward more diverse and sustainable supply chains.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/are-there-any-regions-known-for-having-more-sustainable-solar-panel-production-practices/
