In March 2020, LONGi officially joined the Global Initiative RE100, committing to sourcing 100% of renewable electricity across its entire global operations by 2028, with an interim target of 70% by 2027.In November 2018, LONGi announced its “Solar for Solar” concept of manufacturing clean energy products using 100% clean energy. Joining the RE100 further reinforces the company’s commitment towards a negative carbon earth.
LONGi’s factories in Malaysia and China’s Yunnan province have made significant progress in reaching the company goal of 100% renewable electricity, twice receiving the “National Green Factory” award by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s “Green Manufacturing List.”
As a world leading solar manufacturer, LONGi has always integrated its mission of “Green Sustainability” into its global supply chains, such as product design, purchase of raw materials and manufacturing processes.
In this article, we introduce LONGi’s “Green Sustainability” manufacturing concepts and practices in its global factories and supply chains.
LONGi controls its energy consumption with green and advanced production equipment
LONGi guides its business units and global suppliers to consider environment protection and the product life cycle (PLC) from the early stages of product and equipment design. Hence, LONGi’s global factories uses high performance and cutting-edge equipment that are selected to reduce and minimize energy consumption during the production process.
LONGi purchases recyclable and renewable raw materials to reduce use and consumption at source
In accordance with established practice, the company starts from product design to reduce energy consumption. In many ways, the more advanced the product, the less impact it has on the environment.
In production, LONGi constantly seeks and innovates to use recyclable and renewable raw materials. LONGi also advocates waste-free, recyclable and sustainable product design.
Within the industry standardized range, LONGi specifies product materials to be thinner (POE, EVA, glass, backplate, etc.) and lighter (frame), with the company’s double-glass module adopting the standard of “2 + 2 mm” to reduce the use and consumption of raw materials.
In addition, LONGi is planning to promote the use of green backplate materials in the module production process. When a module generates cost savings from its raw materials, the corresponding savings from applications of LONGi’s modules around the world will be substantial.
LONGi uses recycled packaging materials in each production link
LONGi has always advocated that packaging material used in the entire industry supply chain and in every production link be recyclable and used repeatedly. For example, when silicon rods arrive at the slicing factory, the packaging will be returned to the silicon rod factory for recycling.
LONGi actively encourages its global suppliers to recycle packaging materials, promote environmental protection and adopt it throughout their own supply chain.
Based on safety and reliability, LONGi will make product packaging lighter and thinner, which will reduce carbon emissions in transportation of the product.
LONGi intends to establish a recycling and materials management department in every factory
LONGi strives to control the environmental impact of the product life cycle (PLC) and extend the service life of its solar module products. The company believes that the long product life-span and reliability of its solar products are effective ways of protecting the earth’s resources.
PV modules are made from solar cells, glass, backplates, aluminum frames, EVA etc., and many of these elements have recycling value. Besides ensuring the long lifecycle of its module products, LONGi is also tracking the ‘retirement’ and recycling of the modules at their end-of-life.
LONGi intends to establish a recycling and materials management department to conduct professional research on waste and recycled materials. For example – the management of silicon mud and reducing the waste of diamond wire, graphite, cardboard and plastic. In addition, LONGi will refine waste to maximizes the value of the raw materials and increases the number of waste materials cycles. The reduced production costs allow LONGi to use raw materials more efficiently, reduce carbon emissions in the production and reward customers for their use of clean energy.
LONGi conducts green assessments of suppliers in all its business units
The ability of LONGi’s global suppliers to make good use of renewable energy is vital to the common development of both LONGi and our suppliers.
The company’s supplier certification and audit process has incorporated requirements for sustainable development and the supervision of toxic waste disposal, waste emissions and lean energy consumption in the production processes of its global suppliers.
LONGi promotes the use of clean energy in its global factories
In recent years, LONGi has installed solar PV systems on the rooftops of its factories to generate and use the clean energy for production. Furthermore, the company has developed more than 2GW ground-mount solar photovoltaic power stations and 1.5GW of commercial & industrial stations. LONGi has brought the same policy of using clean energy to its expanded global operations in various countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam. While the company’s production scale has increased significantly, its carbon emissions are substantially reduced.
Moving forward, LONGi will promote and seek to accelerate the global energy transition with innovative solar products. From the manufacturing standpoint, the company has assumed increasing responsibility for the “green sustainability” of earth and play an active role in securing a shared future for all mankind.
