Sharp Solar’s NA solar PV series is already compliant with RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC.

Solar PV is still exempt from the directive, but Sharp says it is voluntary complying to raise the environmental profile of its products.

“We want our commitment to the environment to set an example worldwide,” says Peter Thiele, Executive Vice President Sharp Energy Solutions Europe (SESE).

“With respect to our solar activities, that doesn’t just mean that we are making great advancements in the use of solar energy worldwide. The products themselves will also have to meet high environmental standards. If efficient thin-film modules can be produced without heavy metals, it is a matter of course for us to do so.”

Complying with the RoHS in its solar thin-film series is an important step to the company. Thiele adds: “In doing so, we are proving that the efficient and cost-effective production of PV modules is also possible on an environmentally friendly basis.

“The more we do to establish solar technology and the more solar plants that are installed worldwide, the more intensively the industry will have to commit to the environmental soundness of each individual module.”