Sustainability has become increasingly important for the envisaged single market for green products in the European Union and globally. Today, electricity is being benchmarked and labelled with a multitude of multi- and one-dimensional criteria (e.g. Carbon Footprint, Green Sourcing etc). Moreover, environmental footprint has become part of the tender criteria for renewable energy in some countries and will most likely become more relevant in the electricity markets of the future.
 

In the framework of the Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019, the European Commission is currently exploring the possibility of applying policy instruments such as Ecodesign, Energy Labelling and Ecolabel to solar modules, inverters and systems. The Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Directives are the two pillars of the European policy for energy-efficient products. Products covered by the Ecodesign Directive can only be put on the European market if they fulfil minimum requirements related to energy efficiency and circular economy. The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary label promoting environmental excellence by identifying products and services with reduced environmental impact.