Process Data set: Mono-crystalline solar photovoltaic modules N-Type from JA Solar (en) en
Process information
| Key Data Set Information | |||
| Location | RER | ||
| Geographical representativeness description | Hefei, Xingtai, Yangzhou ; China | ||
| Reference year | 2025 | ||
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| Technical purpose of product or process | Mono-crystalline solar photovoltaic modules are designed to be installed on roofs or as stand-alone systems for local power production. All the modules included in this LCA are double glass and the solar cells are produced with TOPCON process. Solar cells are assembled together with the EVA, glass, frame and electrical connections to produce the finished solar module in the production factories Hefei JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (Hefei), JA Solar (Xingtai)Co.,Ltd. (Xingtai) and JA Solar New Energy Yangzhou CO., Ltd(Jingshan Park) (Yangzhou) in China. LCA's were performed in each module factory on the following modules references: JAM78D40/MB, JAM72D40/MB, JAM54D40/MB, JAM72D42/LB, JAM66D45/LB, JAM72D40/LB, JAM54D40/41/LR, JAM66D42/MB, JAM54D40/41/LR, JAM60D40/41/42/LB. The present environmental performance corresponds to the maximum inventory of each product. The NMD allows to include multiple products in the same report only if the variation in results for each Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) category does not exceed +/- 20 % (for all the mandatory impact indicators, the variation is under the 20% threshold). The performance specifications similarities are respected for the environmental performance since the dimensions, manufacturing process and technology are the same for all the selected products. For this study, the reference is the module JAM78D40/MB, as it is the most conservative with the maximum size of 2,795m² and the power of 655Wp. The score per FU increases with the size of the module. Therefore this EPD study is representative for all modules listed previously. Values in the tables below refer to the maximum inventory of each component, that means the highest consumption of each intrant. There is one table per category of input. Table 1 refers to the mains components. The reference service life of the product is 30 years, based on the warranty presented in the datasheets. | ||
| General comment on data set | Mono-crystalline solar photovoltaic modules N-Type from JA SolarScope and type: The solar panel is manufactured in the JA Solar factories Hefei, Xingtai and Yangzhou in China and are sold on the European market. End-of-life considered for this LCA is the Netherlands. This environmental performance is based on a specific supply chain and on life cycle assessments performed on each module factory. Therefore, it belongs to category 1 products, which is proprietary data from manufacturers and suppliers. The data has been verified by an independent, qualified third party in accordance with the NMD Verification Protocol. Background data are from Ecoinvent 3.6. The modelling has been done with Simapro 10.1.0.3.Representativeness: Solar cells are assembled together with the EVA, glass, frame and electrical connections to produce the finished solar modules in the production factories of JA Solar in Hefei, Xingtai and Yangzhou in China. The solar cells are composed of : • PolySi production (Sichuan Yongxiang New Energy Co., Ltd) • Ingot production from PolySi (JA Solar Qujing and Baotou factories) • Wafer production from ingot (JA Solar Qujing and Baotou factories) • Cell manufacturing from wafer (JA Solar Ningjin factory and JA Solar Yangzhou factory)Calculation rules: The study is based on a cradle to grave analysis i.e., from raw material extraction to the disposal of waste. Module D was calculated but only for information. It has been excluded from total impact calculation. Scenarios for transport to a relevant market (A4) is included in the assessment. An average transport distance from production site to relevant markets in Europe has been used to model the transport to site scenario in Netherlands, Europe. The present environmental performance corresponds to the maximum inventory of each product. The NMD allows to include multiple products in the same report only if the variation in results for each Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) category does not exceed +/- 20 %. : variation represents between 4 and 7% depending on the impact indicator. The maximum product has been defined as: the highest consumption of each input or highest inventory of the products in the environmental performance. The performance specifications similarities are respected for the environmental performance since the dimensions, manufacturing process and technology are the same for all the selected products. No cut-off criteria have been used in this study. The solar panel assembling modelling is based on data from March 2022 to February 2023. The DQR of the whole study is based on the DQR of each individual items (silicon solar grade; single-si wafer; photovoltaic cell; aluminium frame; solar glass; transport A4; End of Life C1-C4). These listed items represent at least 80% of all environmental impacts of solar panels studied (between 96.0% and 99.7% depending on the indicator). The DQR is 1.77.Scenarios and additional technical information A1-A3 : The solar panel is composed of two types of components: - The solar cells, accounting for the biggest part of solar panel lifecycle environmental impact. Its impact results from the successive transformation processes required to manufacture the solar cell: • PolySi production (Sichuan Yongxiang New Energy Co., Ltd) • Ingot production from PolySi (JA Solar Qujing and Baotou factories) • Wafer production from ingot (JA Solar Qujing and Baotou factories) • Cell manufacturing from wafer (JA Solar Ningjin factory and JA Solar Yangzhou factory) - Other components such as glass, EVA, PET, ribbons, and the junction box The LCA inventories have been used to model the following processes: • PolySi recycling process, considering JA Solar Qujing LCA, validated by ADEME in 2023 • Ingot production, considering JA Solar Qujing LCA, validated by ADEME in 2023 • Wafer production, considering JA Solar Qujing LCA, validated by ADEME in 2023 • Solar panel assembling, considering JA Solar Xingtai, Hefei, Yanghzou factories LCA, For the PolySi production, the IEA dataset was used in SimaPro, with the electricity mix being adapted based on the actual factory data. The reference factory is considered as Sichuan Yongxiang New Energy Co., Ltd. For cell production, the IEA dataset was used, with only electricity consumption being adapted based on the actual factory data. The solar panel assembling modelling is based on data from March 2022 to February 2023. Waste from the production (A1-A3) has the following “end-of-waste” status: • End-of-waste status for solid waste that is incinerated: after transported to the incineration plant and incinerated (thermal treatment); • End-of-waste status for hazardous waste: after transported to the incineration plant and incinerated (thermal treatment); • End-of-waste status for solid waste that is recycled: after transported to the recycling plant and sorted and shredded. This study is based on a specific supply chain and on LCA using 2022–2023 data, covering all manufacturing processes from polysilicon production to module assembly in China. Electricity modelling follows the market-based approach using the consumption electricity mix (case 4b, Table 2 of the ECO Platform LCA Calculation Rules), as the Chinese Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) were implemented after the period covered by the LCA data. Actual electricity consumption data from the LCA inventories were used throughout the study. The Chinese national electricity mix was applied to ingot, brick, wafer, cell, and module production, while a regional electricity mix was used for polysilicon production, in order to ensure the best representativeness of the assessment.Declaration of SVHC: In compliance with the REACH Regulation, JA Solar declares that SVHC represents less than 0.1% in their PV modules .More information: https://www.jasolar.com/html/french/ | ||
| Copyright | Yes | ||
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| Data set valid until | 2030 | ||
| Time representativeness description | valid from (Monday 30 June 2025) through (Sunday 30 June 2030) | ||
| Technological representativeness | |||
| Technology description including background system | Mono-crystalline solar photovoltaic modules are designed to be installed on roofs or as stand-alone systems for local power production. All the modules included in this LCA are double glass and the solar cells are produced with TOPCON process. Solar cells are assembled together with the EVA, glass, frame and electrical connections to produce the finished solar module in the production factories Hefei JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (Hefei), JA Solar (Xingtai)Co.,Ltd. (Xingtai) and JA Solar New Energy Yangzhou CO., Ltd(Jingshan Park) (Yangzhou) in China. LCA's were performed in each module factory on the following modules references: JAM78D40/MB, JAM72D40/MB, JAM54D40/MB, JAM72D42/LB, JAM66D45/LB, JAM72D40/LB, JAM54D40/41/LR, JAM66D42/MB, JAM54D40/41/LR, JAM60D40/41/42/LB. The present environmental performance corresponds to the maximum inventory of each product. The NMD allows to include multiple products in the same report only if the variation in results for each Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) category does not exceed +/- 20 % (for all the mandatory impact indicators, the variation is under the 20% threshold). The performance specifications similarities are respected for the environmental performance since the dimensions, manufacturing process and technology are the same for all the selected products. For this study, the reference is the module JAM78D40/MB, as it is the most conservative with the maximum size of 2,795m² and the power of 655Wp. The score per FU increases with the size of the module. Therefore this EPD study is representative for all modules listed previously. Values in the tables below refer to the maximum inventory of each component, that means the highest consumption of each intrant. There is one table per category of input. Table 1 refers to the mains components. The reference service life of the product is 30 years, based on the warranty presented in the datasheets. | ||
Modelling and validation
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| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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Administrative information
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| Time stamp (last saved) | 2025-06-30T00:00:00 |
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| Publication and ownership | |
| UUID | 592df4f8-a71d-4671-ae04-bcd7c5c370d4 |
| Date of last revision | 2026-09-09T11:52:03.786783600Z |
| Data set version | 00.01.200 |
| Registration authority | |
| Registration number | 1.1.00902.2025 |
| Owner of data set | |
| Copyright | Yes |
| License type | Free of charge for all users and uses |
Environmental indicators
Indicators of life cycle