Chinese manufacturers such as JinkoSolar and DMEGC Solar have launched low-carbon PV modules that meet the French threshold of 530 kgCO₂eq/kWp for residential systems eligible for a 5.5% value added tax (VAT), and more compliant products are expected.
Asian solar panel manufacturers are quickly adapting to meet France’s stringent low-carbon requirements for residential systems that qualify for a 5.5% VAT rate. Several new compliant products have been announced and more are expected soon.
French lawmakers had tried to give European manufacturers an edge by linking reduced VAT on residential solar energy to strict carbon footprint limits, but Asian manufacturers quickly adjusted production to meet the same standards.
Chinese PV manufacturer JinkoSolar recently announced a 500 Wp module with a carbon footprint of 520 kgCO₂eq/kWp, below the 530 kgCO₂eq/kWp threshold under the 5.5% VAT decree. Certification for the module, which is distributed in France by BayWa re Solar Systems, is now underway. JinkoSolar said the result was achieved in part by sourcing silicon from Germany.
DMEGC Solar, another Chinese company, confirmed the shipment to France of the first modules eligible for the reduced VAT. The DM500M10RTB60HBT models feature the ECS PPR2_V2 No. 024-2025_009 carbon certificate, with a footprint of 502.658 kgCO₂eq/kWp.
Contacted by pv magazine Francethe company declined to explain how it arrived at this figure. DMEGC added that the modules also meet the other conditions of the decree: silver content lower than 14 mg/W, lead lower than 0.1% and no cadmium.
It is expected that more manufacturers will follow. Sources said JA Solar is preparing to release a similar low-carbon module. Although Chinese-Canadian manufacturer Canadian Solar did not directly refer to VAT eligibility, in September it unveiled a heterojunction (HJT) module with a power of 660 W and a carbon footprint of just 285 kg CO₂-eq/kW.
The company attributed the result to thinner wafers – 110 µm versus 130 µm to 135 µm tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) or back-contact cells – as well as higher block utilization efficiency, optimized HJT cell production and lower overall energy consumption compared to TOPCon or back-contact module production.
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