Environment
Reducing greenhouse gases
Our commitment is to, by 2030, reduce our scopes 1 and 2 emissions (office, vehicles and assets) by 50% as compared to the baseline of 20 tCO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) and to reduce our scope 3 emission intensity (operations & capital goods) by 20% compared to the theoretical emissions scaled from the 2021 business-as-usual baseline figures.*
Each year we gain more insights. Sunrock has a dedicated internal Carbon Reduction working group that is responsible for collecting data, calculating and validating our emissions as well as proposing strategies for reaching the desired emissions reduction.
This report contains the unaudited figures for 2023 and the outlook for the upcoming years. In 2024 we look forward to gaining a broader view, consistent with upcoming CSRD reporting.
* calculated per MWp installed; SBTi verification pending.
Sunrock’s commitment to minimize carbon footprint
Scope 1 & 2
commitment target 2030 of 10 tCO₂e
Scope 1
Scope 2
2019
18.7
0
2020
21.6
0
2021
21.1
0
2022
24.3
0
2023
22.6
0.07
Scope 3
20% compared to the theoretical emissions scaled from the 2021 business-as-usual baseline figures*** in 2030
Scope 3 direct control
Scope 3 indirect control
2019
23.4
\
2020
15.8
\
2021
73.2
138,379
2022
100.9
144,801
2023
102.4
167,647
SBTi – reporting year 2023
GHG emissions in tCO₂ - equivalent
*** Calculated per MWp installed
This figure represents the ratio between the different Sunrock emissions.
Yellow - Scope 3 - Indirect 167,649
Light-blue - Scope 3 - Direct 102.4
Dark-blue - Scope 1 - 22.55
Red - Scope 2 - 0.07
By the end of 2023, all of Sunrock’s PV parks had generated a total of 692 GWh of renewable energy. In 2023, 298 GWh were generated in the Netherlands and 2.1 GWh in Germany. These numbers mean that we served around 497,000 people with clean energy in the year to date. Preventing approximately 200,000 tCO₂e of greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2023 alone, the renewable energy our solar parks generated prevented the emissions of 91,000 tCO₂e. This is equivalent to more than 50% of the CO₂ it took for all of our parks to be manufactured, shipped and installed in this year. In other words: it takes less than 2 years for an average PV park to become carbon positive
Source for NL - TTW 0.29 kgCO₂eq/kWh for unknown electricity - co2emissie.nl
Source for DE - TTW 0,435 kg CO₂eq/kWh Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle
Assumption is 1390 kWh/ capita consumption
For 2023, we calculated scope 1, 2 and our direct control scope 3 (business travel, staff commute & office waste) using the emissions factor approach. That is: consumption in kWh / kg/ liters x GHG emission factor = CO₂ equivalent emission in tons, from NL, DE, FR and if not available then from DEFRA (UK) government verified factors.
For our indirect control scope 3 emissions we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment, following the ISO 14040/14044 methodological framework (for Standardization, 2006a,b). For background processes we followed the inventory analysis of the EcoInvent 3.8 cut-off database. We excluded the use phase, this is included in scope 2 the years thereafter.
Behind the numbers
Scope 1 refers to emissions from our company pool vehicles and heating systems in our rented offices.
Scope 2 emissions result from the electricity we consume in our offices and the stand-by consumption of the inverters of PV plants.
In 2023 we saw a decrease of 0.95 tCO₂e in our Scope 1 fuel combustion. Also the company pool car emissions decreased as we switched, at the end of 2023, to all electric vehicles, charged on renewable energy. We have a small increase of 0.07 tCO₂e in Scope 2 due to emissions from mixed source electricity in our office in France and PV parks.
Bottomline, our Scope 1 & 2 emissions decreased by 1.64 tCO₂e compared to 2022, while growing as a company.
Background
Overview of GHG Protocol scopes and emissions across the value chain
Adapted from Science Based Targets initiative
Actions for further improvement
To meet our targets in the upcoming years, Sunrock will undertake the following actions:
Scope 1:
Continue conversations with the landlords of our offices to encourage sustainable heating.
Sunrock’s pool cars are now 100% electric. We will continue to charge them using renewable sources.
Scope 2:
Gain certificates for electricity from renewable sources for new offices.
Review current electricity contracts for stand-by consumption PV parks / switch to renewable supply.
Scope 3 – Direct control
We improved and standardized our data collection by ungrouping travel modes. Engagement on the commute survey was high, employees embraced the topic of carbon reduction.
As of 2024: all Sunrock offices follow standards for sustainable commuting and business travel.
Scope 3 – Indirect control
Focus lies on shorter transport routes and in the use of green electricity within our supply chain.
Therefore, towards 2030 our carbon reduction roadmap revolves around our supply chain: PV panels, inverters & mounting structures. Engaging with lenders, suppliers and EPC partners to increase the number of projects with a lower carbon balance.
As part of Sunrock’s ISO 9001 process we refined our data collection in 2023 and will take improvements further in 2024, in line with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
Goal is to offer more granular insight in the carbon balance of newly-built PV plants in the 2024 report.
Creating a circular solar park
Sunrock’s Asset Management takes care of our installed assets. To ensure they meet the long-term expectations of all parties involved while realising and optimising the value of our asset portfolio.
The Asset Management team is responsible for the performance of solar assets (good availability and production) as well as safe operations.
We closely work with stakeholders (property owners, tenants, contractors, energy off takers) to ensure business-cases are met and opportunities for improvement are implemented.
Asset Management focuses on the performance of our portfolio. We (remotely) monitor and effectively resolve issues together with external contractors.
Asset managers interact with the tenants of the various locations and are the first contact for health, safety and environment related queries. Moreover, we ensure that administrative agreements are met on time.
In addition to these operational tasks, we work on improving our business, tools and processes. Asset managers actively participate in the ESG working groups.
Responsible asset management
ESG in 2023
What’s next?
It is the task of Asset Management to ensure our assets actually produce the predicted amount of renewable electricity, during the operational lifetime. In 2023, Sunrock kicked off the installation of smart loggers to provide better insight and data connections. It improves remote troubleshooting with better uptime and saves on road transportation for physical site visits.
Additionally, we initiated 2 relevant partnerships for reusing and recycling.
ZonNext enables reuse of modules that are not meeting the quality standards of Sunrock. For example solar modules with lower capacity which, as the weakest link in the system, downgrade the performance of other solar modules. ZonNext uses them in projects with impact for society.
Reiling recycles materials from broken solar panels, retrieving the polysilicon and silver for high-quality reuse. Sunrock’s volume of broken modules is limited (less than 300 in 2023), but the partnership prepares us for larger volumes when installations reach the end of their lifetime.
For 2024 and beyond, we are exploring several opportunities for improving Asset Management ESG practices. For example:
Enhance the circular use of components used on our assets. We strongly stimulate the refurbishment and repair of components by making this a requirement in the Operations and Maintenance contracts. Extra relevant since many product warranties will expire in the next 2-3 years.
Promote the use of electric vehicles by our contractors to reduce their carbon footprint from site visits for maintenance.
Our assets are still relatively new, but once end-of-life comes closer, we will add decision criteria to continue the operations as long as possible and minimize decommissioning.
A word with our partners
"In 2023, Sunrock became a partner of ZonNext. We re-use solar panels that for whatever reason don’t meet the requirements of the park anymore. The panels are not broken, but sometimes a bit damaged and less powerful than the latest versions. Sunrock donates those slightly underperforming solar panels to us. As a non-profit foundation, we give them a new, social destination. We install them at - for example - schools and soccer clubs. Institutions that normally are not able to invest in renewable energy now benefit from it, as does the environment. Above all, we prevent the products from being recycled before their time. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to clean, test and certify the panels. We believe this is the way forward and Sunrock’s partnership has set an example to the solar industry. Together we take responsibility for the entire chain."
Niels van Olffren - Stichting ZonNext
“Nowadays, photovoltaic is key in the realm of renewable energy. Sustainable power generation has shown large growth rates throughout Europe since the turn of the millennium. However, the sustainability of the PV modules must also be ensured after the lifespan of approx. 20 years. Reiling PV-Recycling has taken up this challenge.
Our mechanical recycling process recovers valuable resources from PV modules. Glass, silicon, aluminum, conductors (tinned copper) and cables - can be returned to their material cycles.
This is crucial for conserving resources and protecting the environment. With innovative all-in-one solutions and an extensive transport network, Reiling offers simple, economic and environmentally friendly recycling of PV modules in accordance with legal requirements. First, we check modules that are still functional for possible supply to the secondary market. The huge advantages of working with large installers like Sunrock lie in the valuable exchange and the commitment to the common cause. Sunrock strives to establish sustainable recycling solutions for their end-of-life modules due to their core values for environmental protection. Even though quantities are still small, we are using the time together to optimize processes in order to master upcoming challenges.”
Malte Fislake (Plant Manager Reiling PV-Recycling GmbH& Co. KG)
© Reling PV-Recycling
Solar Circularity
Insights of an ESG working group member
“Circularity is, essentially, about creating a closed-loop system where resources are used sustainably, while waste is minimized or eliminated. When it comes to solar parks, it means that we want the components of our solar parks to have the longest lifespan possible, in our solar parks or somewhere else! There is a point where the different components don’t operate correctly anymore. At that moment we recycle them in the best possible way.
Circularity aligns with Sunrock's commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. By embracing circularity principles, Sunrock can reduce its environmental footprint, enhance resource sefficiency, contribute to a more sustainable energy future and ultimately, do good!
I joined the Sunrock ESG circularity working group because I believe it is one of the major challenges to the solar industry in the upcoming years. It is interesting (and fun) to get together with people I do not usually work with and find innovative ways to make a change.
One of our ideas was to conduct a pilot study into how to give our solar panels a second life. We contacted a company that would collect the panels that we want changed for our parks, check them and use them in another project. This way we produce even more kWh with our solar panels and replace them in the most sustainable way possible.
Being part of this group allows me to see the bigger picture, and to remember that even if we are already doing good, the solar industry is still young and needs to be optimized in many levels. I hope that the various ongoing pilots are successful and our group moves the industry a little bit further in developing knowledge and technology on solar circularity!”
Bastian Velasquez
Project Manager and member of Circularity working group
Biodiversity on site
Everything works together, and everything we do impacts our surroundings. "Biodiversity" refers to the variety of living organisms and species that interact to sustain life on Earth.
Goal
Although only a minority of Sunrock’s projects are developed on land or water (the majority being rooftops, obviously), we aim to avoid any negative impact on plant and animal life at these ground-mounted and floating sites. Where possible, we strive to achieve a net positive effect on biodiversity.
Site Selection and Development:
We only develop projects on land or water in areas rezoned for solar energy, ensuring they are not built in Natura 2000 zones. Potential sites for solar projects are often large, degraded industrial sites or depleted farmland, typically proposed by the owners themselves. Development of a PV facility begins only after comprehensive ecological assessments and fulfilment of all necessary RFP requirements.
Learning and Adaptation:
We are committed to increasing our understanding of the impact of our ground and floating projects on local wildlife. By actively seeking expert advice, we aim to responsibly integrate PV installations into the landscape.
Independent Expert Consultation:
Independent experts assist us in developing projects in ways that do not negatively impact biodiversity. They provide crucial information about the plants and animals in the vicinity of our projects and suggest measures to ensure their viability. This guidance helps us make informed decisions when managing project areas and consider additional precautions to avoid disturbing local flora and fauna.
Biodiversity in 2023
In 2022/2023, Sunrock's leadership decided to focus exclusively on rooftop PV systems. This strategic shift, along with findings from Sunrock’s CSRD Double Materiality Assessment indicating that biodiversity at Sunrock sites is not a material topic, led to the decision to follow industry best practice guidelines to mitigate biodiversity impacts where relevant. Consequently, we prioritized other ESG topics with respect to the allocation of time and resources in 2023. The ESG team, in collabouration with Asset Management, will develop an action plan to enhance biodiversity performance in 2024. Additionally, we actively participate in external biodiversity initiatives to learn and incorporate best practices into our approach.
