Evolving policies and trade regulations in the solar industry, such as the U.S. UFLPA, have led to necessary changes in sourcing strategies for PV module buyers. While many buyers are purchasing from the largest vertically integrated Tier 1 Chinese suppliers to minimize traceability risks, others are considering procuring from non-Chinese suppliers based out of Southeast Asia and India.

In this pv magazine webinar, CEA outlines the pros and cons of these two sourcing strategies, and provides an overview of the locations and capacity of the upstream PV supply chain. They also share how procurement teams can identify potential importation compliance risks when sourcing from Southeast Asia and India.

CEA’s traceability experts Nicola Licata, Arturo Cortes Chavez, and Joseph Johnson share what they’ve learned through conducting dozens of traceability audits in upstream factories and provide a roadmap for a due diligence framework that solar developers can use to appropriately evaluate manufacturers and minimize procurement risks.

pv magazine Webinar content:

• Pros and cons of common strategies for ethical sourcing of PV modules

• Overview of the current locations and capacity of the upstream PV supply chain

• Summary of how top Chinese module manufacturers have improved their traceability systems since 2022

• Identification of the risks of procuring from non-Chinese suppliers in Southeast Asia and India, and proposed strategies to mitigate that risk

• Overview of the techniques and due diligence frameworks buyers can use to minimize procurement risk

• Q&A