The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (http://unfccc.int/2860.php) was created and its Kyoto Protocol signed several years ago. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that sets binding targets for most industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012. The reductions average out to a total cut of five per cent against 1990 levels. The UN COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009 did not achieve a binding agreement for long-term action, however a 13-paragraph 'political accord' was negotiated by approximately 25 parties including US and China.
The necessary change to a low carbon society offers huge business opportunities to solar energy. Solar modules produce electricity with no greenhouse gases. Some emissions are generated in creating solar equipment, and REC is constantly working to reduce that amount.
A lifecycle analysis, carried out in 2007 by Utrecht University and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, showed that REC silicon, wafer, cell and module operations have record low carbon footprints compared to any other PV solar technology.
REC has reduced its carbon footprint to an all-time low of less than 16gm CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity generation capacity produced. This is the result of our developing highly energy-efficient manufacturing processes, which are better than any other solar company. REC produces solar materials and equipment in carefully monitored, large-scale production processes that are energy- and carbon-efficient. All of our silicon operations and most of our wafer and cell operations use hydropower, making REC unique in the solar industry.
Recently REC made several significant innovations to further reduce our carbon footprint. These include new ingot crystallization, wafer cutting and silicon purification technologies, plus improvements to the conversion efficiency of the solar cells REC produces. All of these allow us to produce solar products that cost less, use less energy and produce even less greenhouse gases than we already do.