CERTISOLIS certifies the low carbon footprint of REC solar panels made with TwinPeak technologies for tenders in France

Combining this CERTISOLIS certification with high product quality and competitive pricing on a multicrystalline cell platform, REC’s solar panels are now a preferred product for CRE 4 tenders in France, and even for projects not yet built under CRE 3 tenders

REC has announced that products made with its award-winning TwinPeak technologies have been officially certified by CERTISOLIS for their low carbon footprint, qualifying them for French tenders. This new milestone allows REC to offer the best chance to win tenders and reduce project risks for industry professionals and investors alike.

Combining this CERTISOLIS certification with high product quality and competitive pricing on a multicrystalline cell platform, REC’s solar panels are now a preferred product for CRE 4 tenders in France, and even for projects not yet built under CRE 3 tenders. The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) requires an official carbon footprint assessment of all solar panels to be eligible for CRE 3 and CRE 4 auctions; after panel price, carbon footprint is the most important criteria.

“The low carbon footprint of REC solar panels takes advantage of our extremely environmentally friendly silicon production in Norway. In general, this is a highly energy, and therefore also emissions intensive process. At REC, this production step produces almost zero emissions, a fact now validated by ADEME and confirmed by CERTISOLIS certification,” explains Cemil Seber, Vice President Global Marketing and Product Management at REC. “As a leading and highly bankable European brand, we are providing solar panels with the highest watt classes using multicrystalline technology, with competitive pricing and renowned REC reliability.”

One of the newest additions to REC’s product portfolio, the REC TwinPeak 2 Series, is rated up to 295 Wp and takes the power output of 60-cell multicrystalline panels to groundbreaking new heights. Launched in January 2017, the new panels use the latest REC TwinPeak technology, including cells from larger wafers and five busbars – both firsts for REC products. These are in addition to the power-boosting standard features of REC TwinPeak panels: half-cut cell technology, PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology, and a split junction box. REC will be showcasing its new generation of TwinPeak solar panels at this year’s Intersolar Europe from May 31 to June 2, 2017.

“The CERTISOLIS certificate is an important milestone for REC to further boost our presence in France, a market we expect to grow significantly,” added Seber. The CRE 4 tenders for ground-mounted and rooftop solar PV installations have a total volume of 4.35 GW and are split across nine rounds for submitting proposals until Q4 2019. Overall, REC expects France will need to install around 1.5 GW per year to hit their new renewable energy targets. By the end of 2018, France aims to have a cumulative solar PV capacity of up to 10.2 GW; by the end of 2023 up to 20.2 GW. Currently, France has an installed PV capacity of approximately 7.2 GW.