Researchers from the European Commission have developed a ready-to-use methodology for quantifying the carbon footprint of photovoltaic modules to be used in regulatory contexts such as the directive of the European Union on ecodesign. They shared their findings in “ Assessment of the carbon footprint of photovoltaic modules through the EU Ecodesign Directive ”, which was recently published in the magazine Solar Energy . The method is divided into nine main steps. These include Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) hotspot analysis, which is dedicated to identifying areas where environmental impacts are most significant. This application of the method to PV modules identifies the carbon footprint as the most significant area, but water and resource use could be considered instead. The following steps include adapting the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for use in the ecodesign requirements of PV modules. The new "harmonised calculation rules" are set to calculate the carbon impact of PV modules from production to market entry, with a particular focus on the production and dispatch phases. The method performs a sensitivity analysis of the silicon content of the photovoltaic modules, the module yield and the mix of the power grid used in the production phase before calculating the final results. The final steps include interpreting the results, consulting with stakeholders, and finally determining possible requirements for the carbon footprint of the PV modules. (BEATRIZ SANTOSOVA)