Aligning with Goals

Between 2020 and 2023, the company maintained its expansion momentum by adding new cell and module capacities, reducing GHG emission intensity by about 30%, and increasing its use of green electricity to up to 28%. In addition to its voluntary sustainability efforts, the company has aligned itself with several global sustainability initiatives and frameworks, including the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the UNGC’s Climate Action Accelerator program, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and the GE100% initiative. The SBTi will guide the company’s GHG emission reduction goals based on a climate science-based framework, while the UNGC-CAA program will help accelerate its climate action initiatives. Moreover, JA Solar participated in the recent COP28 meeting and joined China’s "GE100%" initiative, noted Jin.

Full-Lifecycle Green Product

JA Solar’s continuous carbon footprint reduction efforts span the entire product lifecycle – from innovation and supplier selection to production, packaging, logistics, and recycling.

Innovation & Production

With its highly integrated vertical manufacturing structure, JA Solar has incorporated several innovative and sustainable practices into its product development. In the upstream manufacturing of solar wafers, the company recently introduced lower-emission FBR (Fluidized Bed Reactor) technology for polysilicon ingot production. Although the portion of FBR polysilicon used is currently between 10% and 20% of the total, the company’s R&D team is working to increase this share to 50% by addressing impurity issues. Furthermore, JA Solar claims to have successfully reduced silicon wafer thickness from 150 µm to 125 µm. For PV cells, in addition to adopting lower-emission manufacturing processes, the company has optimized the use of silver in metallization paste, resulting in further carbon footprint reductions and enhanced module reliability, according to Jin.

At the PV module stage, the company uses environmentally friendly bill-of-materials (BOM) such as glass and frames from certified suppliers. It has also implemented a busbarless (0BB) metallization process with a lower soldering temperature, further reducing its carbon footprint, added Jin. JA Solar has also made progress in its GHG emission reduction efforts by lowering the carbon footprint of its flagship DeepBlue 4.0 Pro products by up to 18.2% between 2023 and 2024. Additionally, the company aims to reduce its carbon footprint by another third before 2028.

Recently, the company's Bycium-class TOPCon cell, based on the 330 cm² wafer size and incorporating technological innovations like front-side metallization, p+ emitter optimizations, and rear passivation layer optimizations, achieved an efficiency of 25.6%. This upgraded high cell efficiency, based on large-size wafers, will help increase the competitiveness of the solar industry compared to the fossil fuel industry, explained Jin.

Sustainable Logistics & Packaging

To reduce carbon emissions from logistics and transportation, JA Solar is transitioning to electrification. Currently, 96% of the company’s onsite logistics transport vehicles – such as forklifts, loaders, and stackers – have been electrified. It has also started using clean fuels like biomass and methanol to replace diesel.

In addition, JA Solar has recycled 1.39 million sets of silicon wafer boxes and PE foam cartons, and redesigned boxes for internal cell transportation at a specific factory, reducing material waste, according to Jin.

Sustainable Recycling

Regarding sustainable recycling, JA Solar’s registration with waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance underscores its commitment to managing end-of-life products responsibly according to international standards. In 2023, the company shipped 6 GW of certified recyclable products to global customers, in partnership with PV Cycle, SOREN, and E-Cycle governance.

On the wastewater management front, JA Solar’s comprehensive wastewater treatment project at its Nanjing production base, which began in 2023, aims to reduce wastewater pollutants and improve the water recycling rate, says Jin.

Other Sustainability Initiatives

JA Solar has earned zero-carbon factory certifications for 2 manufacturing sites while 6 of its manufacturing bases have been designated as national green factories, and 2 have been shortlisted for green factory recognition in China's Jiangsu province. The company has also received multiple green certifications for its products and manufacturing operations, including the French Certisolis carbon footprint certification, Italian and Norwegian UL EPD environmental protection product declaration certifications, the EcoVadis 2023 Sustainability Rating, and the Intertek Green Leaf certification, added Jin. Furthermore, JA Solar is actively building a responsible and certified raw material supply chain by establishing sustainability parameters for primary raw material suppliers.