After the Last Sunny Day
Recycling Guarantee for End-of-Life Modules
Manufacturers of solar modules voluntarily guarantee to take back and recycle decommissioned end-of-life solar modules. This initiative makes good ecological and economic sense but poses new challenges for the industry’s risk coverage. A policy broker offers a concept for covering future recycling liabilities. more...
Connected Layer by Layer
Servo Drives Used in Laminating Machines for Multi-layered Pressed Material
The sun is an almost infinite source of energy, its use is socially acceptable, and it plays a role in reducing CO2 emissions worldwide. As a result, photovoltaic systems are becoming ever more widespread. The coating and laminating units used in their production need high-performance servo drive technology to guarantee precise positioning of the solar panels. more...
Conncetor
Automatically Assembled
The pre-assembled PV connector MC4PLUS has now been certified by both TÜV and UL. more...
Money Points the Way Ahead
International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic
Results 2010 Cost reduction is the watchword in nearly every area of industrial manufacturing. And this also applies even more urgently to PV production in view of the rapid global development of this industry. Technology trends in PV production are summarised in the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), which identifies areas for increasing efficiency. more...
Connector
Made for Robots
The SolarSpec Junction Box, designed for robotic assembly of silicon photovoltaic systems, reduces assembly time and production costs for PV-panel manufacturers. more...
Wafer Handling
With Contact-free Eccentricity Detection
The Taiko Ring Remover TRR200/300 permits fully automated removal of laser-cut rings from laminated 200 mm (8″) and 300 mm (12″) wafers. more...
Wet or Dry?
Dry Plasma Processes for PV Production
Process flow of crystalline silicon cells from the as-cut wafer via damage removal, texturing, diffusion, PSG removal, and emitter etching to nitride deposition includes numerous wet processes. These are standard processes and are employed in fabrication lines throughout the world. This is a strong argument against change. On the other hand, the PV community has made many attempts to replace wet processes by dry plasma processes. more...
Printing Line
There is No Escape From the Automatic Fixing Eye
The screen-printing line (roll to roll) for the production of photovoltaic elements is a 2-colour flatbed screen-printing line with a max. printing size of 750 x 750 mm. Equipped with Hot Air and UV dryer it is possible to print solvent and UV inks on flexible substrates like metal, plastics and paper. more...
Light and Shade
Shortcoming of Measuring Equipment
As a consequence of the improvements achieved in the mass production of solar cells generating a higher energy yield from sunlight, the need has arisen for more precise measuring equipment capable of reproducing this light. This is because powerful artificial suns such as xenon flashers also have their downsides: they show significant deviations from standard test conditions in the lower and upper range of the spectrum. They are, however, still being used for quality assessment in cell and module production lines. more...
Back Side Tabbing
Save Silver
The SOL200 Series is usable for back side tabbing conductors for mono and multicrystalline silicon solar cell wafers. It has been claimed to demonstrate lower paste laydown while maintaining excellent solderability with both leaded and lead-free solders while maintaining high adhesion and high electrical performance. more...
Good Housekeeping
Interview with Jan Clyncke, Managing Director of PV CYCLE
The photovoltaic industry has closed ranks and committed to implementing a voluntary take-back and recycling scheme which has been in operation since the first half of 2010. The industry intends to take responsibility for the entire life-cycle of a PV module with the aim of making the photovoltaic industry ‘doubly green’. more...
Polysilicon Production
One for Six
A newly developed silicon tetrachloride (STC) converter is intended for polysilicon production plants using direct chlorination for hydrogenating STC. more...
Sealing
Withstanding Plasma Attack
Zalak 5300 high-performance seals bridge the performance gap between standard fluoroelastomer (FKM) and perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) seals. The seals are specially formulated for use in plasma environments, such as are encountered in edge isolation, ARC coating in crystalline cell manufacturing, TCO sputtering deposition, and selective a-Si PECVD applications in PV cell manufacturing. more...
Laminator
Multi Daylight Dazzles
Willard & Kelsey Solar Group has begun high-volume production of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar panels at its plant in Perrysburg, Ohio using the Ypsator Multi Daylight Laminator. more...
Thermal Processing
Fast Firing With High Throughput
The Tritan dual-lane metallisation firing system features increased throughput at 3600 wafers per hour, an edge-grip transport system, and a temperature spike faster than 3 seconds. more...
Efficient Use of Water
Innovative Water and Wastewater Treatment for the International Solar Industry
Solar cells are manufactured in a complex process that requires enormous know-how. Large quantities of water are required for all methods . The production process leads to polluted wastewater. Since water is becoming more and more valuable as a raw material, efficient water management is essential. more...
Midget Revolutionists
Micro Inverters in PV Modules
Micro inverters are the little brothers of traditionally used inverter systems. Sometimes one micro inverter is used for each module. In other installations, use of a dual micro inverter serving two modules can reduce costs without compromising system performance. Micro inverters offer a radically different approach to solar PV installations. more...
Inverter
With Integrated System Monitoring
The single-phase Fronius IG TL 4.6 inverter is a transformerless device that feeds power into the grid with a maximum output of 4.6 kW, as required by the forthcoming German Low Voltage Directive. more...
Software
Precision PC-based Solar Tracking
The TwinCAT Solar Position Algorithm software function block from Beckhoff enables exact calculation of sun angles without the use of sensors. more...
Inverter
Sinus-wave Alternating Current Supply
The three Powador models 10.0 TL3, 12.0 TL3, and 14.0 TL3 supply three-phase current and can be integrated into grid system management. In the case of grid failure, they help maintain voltage and frequency stability and support short circuit current. more...