The strong worldwide growth on the photovoltaics market puts the spotlight firmly on sustainability. As a manufacturer of state-of-the-art solar modules, resource-efficient production and environmentally friendly disposal are fundamental to our business ethos.

Our environmental strategy, which is designed to bring long-term benefits, includes the creation of a cyclical economy for the solar-system market. AVANCIS is a founding member of the European Association for the Recovery of Photovoltaic Modules AISBL, known as PV CYCLE, an initiative set up by European photovoltaics manufacturers in which used solar modules are voluntarily taken back and reconditioned, even if a manufacturer becomes insolvent.

Even before starting production of its CIS modules, AVANCIS also signed up to an environment monitoring schedule. The international environment management standard ISO 14001-2009, with its globally acknowledged requirements for environment management systems, is thus a fundamental element of our company.

Compared to the manufacture of polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon solar cells, CIS solar cells offer a system-related environmental advantage: a 50% shorter energy payback time and significantly fewer production stages. And there's yet another benefit for the environment: no transportation is involved, because the production process runs on a single production line – from the delivery of the substrate glass to the completion of the module.

The result: the environmental indicators of our solar modules with CIS technology are well below all the threshold values laid down in law and make a sustainable contribution to protecting the environment.