Taiwan-headquartered solar panel manufacturer Winaico recently achieved an important certification related to social accountability.
Founded in 2008, Winaico is part of the Taiwanese technology company Win Win Precision Technology Co. Ltd. Demonstrating its strong commitment to ethical practices, Win Win was recently awarded SA8000 Certification.
Created by Social Accountability International (SAI) in 1997, the SA8000 standard is based on internationally recognized standards of “decent work”, elements of which address:
- Child Labor
- Forced or Compulsory Labor
- Health and Safety
- Freedom of Association & Right to Collective Bargaining
- Discrimination
- Disciplinary Practices
- Working Hours
- Remuneration
- Management System
Currently, there are more than 5,500 SA8000 certifications across the world, representing 70 industries and around 3.47 million workers.
Additionally, WINAICO says it has also scored OHSAS18001 certification, relating to occupational health and safety. But it seems OHSAS 18001 was withdrawn and replaced by the new international Standard for Occupational Health and Safety, ISO 45001, some time ago. I’ve asked Winaico for clarification there and will update this post with any new information.
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Update 9.10AM. I heard back from Winaico and they acknowledged the issue. Win Win was among the first to achieve OHSAS18001; and the company is currently ISO 45001 certified.
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Commenting on its SA8000 Certification, Winaico said:
“SA8000 accreditation assures that every product is backed by an independent, SAAS-accredited audit, ensuring impartial oversight that verifies our compliance with global standards.”
Winaico In Australia
Winaico has been on the Australian solar scene since 2012. At the time of writing, Winaico solar panel reviews here on SolarQuotes from Australian customers have generally been quite favourable, averaging 4.8 stars from 215 ratings overall, and 4.9 stars over the past 12 months (29 ratings). The firm is currently on SQ’s recommended solar panels chart.
Among the stand-out features of Winaico solar panels is how the company backs them – product warranties of up to 30 years and 2 years “3-in-1 Solar Insurance”. The latter covers against loss due to material damage, interruption of service or reduced yield for the first two years, but can be extended to five years for an added fee. It’s pretty comprehensive; covering a bunch of events such as fire, burglary, vandalism, storms and even “animal bites” (including rodents snacking on cables).
Other SA8000 Certified Solar Panel Manufacturers
Working off the recommended panels chart, there are other firms with SA8000 certification. Among them:
This likely isn’t a complete list, as some brands may be under another company name. For example, Winaico’s is under “WIN WIN Precision Technology, Ltd.” Or, certified companies may have a similar name, but it wasn’t clear to me if it’s *the* company.
Modern Slavery, Solar And SQ
A few years ago, modern slavery in the solar industry and related sectors was thrust into the spotlight. Responding to the issue, in 2022 SolarQuotes started assessing risks of modern slavery within the company’s business and supply chain, which culminated in the development of our own modern slavery/forced labour policy.
But beyond that, we also started making related enquiries with the companies listed on our recommended brands charts and/or solar panel, battery, inverter, PV diverter and EV charger comparison tables. We introduced a row on each comparison table indicating if a brand has a modern slavery statement or forced labour policies. It’s been an ongoing exercise and you can read more about our approach here.
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