The Association of Solar Energy Industries (SEIA) released a draft industry standard to increase transparency of the solar and storage supply chain and help companies comply with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) traceability requirements.
Standard 101 provides a section that manufacturers and importers can follow to trace the origin of products, from raw materials to finished products. The standard is based on real-world examples of solar product shipments detained and released by customs officials and includes input from manufacturers, developers and third-party auditors.
“The U.S. solar and storage industry has an unwavering commitment to ethical business practices,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA. “As we build domestic manufacturing across the supply chain, this standard will ensure that all solar and storage products installed in the United States meet the highest ethical standards. This standard is part of SEIA’s broader efforts to build a strong foundation for the industry and thoughtfully address short- and long-term challenges, positioning the industry for decades of success.”
SEIA’s supply chain standard applies to both companies and products and supports solar developers and manufacturers in mapping and tracking the supply chain. Manufacturers can use the standard to certify both an individual product and their company. Once the standard is published, SEIA will work with third-party auditors to certify that a product’s provenance has been properly tracked. Similarly, a manufacturer can also have its supply chain management system certified by SEIA.
Solar and storage developers can also use the standard to trace the origins of project components, while installers, insurers and other companies that rely on solar product information can require suppliers to follow SEIA’s standard.
Standard 101 is now open for public comment and is expected to be published and deployed in the first quarter of 2025.
In July, SEIA was released Standards 401 and 201 that govern solar sales and installation practices. SEIA expects to release draft standards later this year on operation and maintenance and environmental, health and safety training for installers and technicians, as well as an equipment recycling standard by 2025.
News item from SEIA
