Certisolis, a French certification body specializing in PV products and systems, has updated its list of modules that have obtained a Simplified Carbon Assessment (Évaluation Carbone Simplifiée, ECS). These certificates demonstrate compliance with the carbon-footprint criteria required to qualify for certain French support mechanisms, notably the S21 feed-in tariff and tenders organized by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE).

The updated list provides information on valid ECS certificates, including the relevant module references, manufacturers, technologies, maximum power ratings, and the carbon-footprint thresholds they meet.

To facilitate the transition between the previous and new certification systems, Certisolis has also launched an online calculator. The tool allows users to convert the carbon value of an existing PPE2 certificate, issued under France’s second Multiannual Energy Program (PPE), into a new value designated as “non-LCA,” referring to a calculation that does not use the previous life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology.

This new method is specifically required for the new CRE PPE2 tenders for building-mounted PV projects. Rather than analyzing the carbon impact of each stage of the module manufacturing process, as under the previous methodology, it uses an overall score based on the countries in which production takes place.

Before production begins, manufacturers can also request a provisional, or temporary, ECS certificate. This allows them to market a “low-carbon” version of a module and bid for future projects before purchasing all the components required to manufacture it.

“Some module manufacturers wait until they have ‘firm’ orders for low-carbon modules—which qualify for the S21 tariff—before sourcing ‘low-carbon’ components, which are more expensive,” Certisolis notes in a publication on the subject.

Once a sale of low-carbon modules intended to qualify for the S21 tariff has been finalized, for example, the manufacturer must purchase the low-carbon components specified in the temporary certificate.

The temporary certificate, however, cannot be used for commissioning. The modules purchased and installed must correspond exactly to the part numbers and components specified in the final certificate. Their manufacturing date must also fall within the certificate’s validity period.