Despite the reputation of the East Coast, the region enjoys abundant sunshine for mcuh of the year, making states as far north as Pennsylvania a perfect place for solar panels. Although it is not as warm as California, families and businesses alike can benefit from hiring residential or commercial solar installers to construct photovoltaic (PV) panels on its roof.
Located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, NewAge Industries is dedicated to producing high quality plastic tubing, hoses, fittings and clamps with 98 percent of their orders being shipped out on the same day that they were requested, according to the company.
The employee share ownership plan (ESOP) company, which has been dedicated to satisfying the needs ot customers and employees, recently hired well-known commercial and residential solar installers, Borrego Solar, to come and construct a large solar system on the rooftop of the company's facility. On top of replacing old windows with new energy efficient styles, this was another way for the company to become more efficient with their utility bills and energy costs.
The solar system is composed of over 4,000 American-made SolarWorld PV panels that add up to more than 1 megawatt in capacity. The SolarWorld panels have a 25-year lifetime warrantee, while guaranteeing to produce electricity with a 90 percent efficiency rating after 10 years of service, as opposed to the industry standard 80 percent, according to SolarWorld.
The solar system is split into more than 300 racks, each consisting of 13 panels, which are spread across the rooftop and angled at either 5 or 10 degrees west of due south in order to optimize the amount of sunshine they receive, according to the installation company.
The company hoped that adding the solar panels would allow them to become greener and it certainly did. The solar setup allows the company to offset more than 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, which, over the 30-year life-span of the system, is expected to reduce more than 44 million pounds of CO2. This is the equivalent of removing nearly 200 cars from the road or planting more than 400 acres of trees, according to the solar company.
The 1,100 kilowatt solar system is expected to produce nearly 99,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Pennsylvania average retail price per kilowatt-hour was just more than 10.5 cents in February 2011. Even if the system were to produce electricity with only 80 percent efficiency the installation will still save the company more than $8,000 per month on their utility bills by not relying on local utility companies.
2011年8月24日星期三
2011年8月23日星期二
PGE and ODOT break ground on solar highway project
Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez joined Portland General Electric and the Oregon Department Transportation Tuesday to break ground on a $10 million solar array at the Baldock Rest Area on Interstate 5 south of Wilsonville.
The project comprises almost 7,000 panels spread over seven acres of land owned by ODOT behind the rest area. It will generate up to 1.97 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year -- about 9 percent of the electricity consumed by the agency in the utility's service territory. PGE hopes to flip the switch in January.
Like most renewable energy projects, the $10 million solar array has complex and heavily subsidized financing. Bank of America is the owner and "tax equity partner" for the deal under a sale-leaseback transaction with PGE, which will build, operate and buy power from the project. PGE, which has no appetite for the tax deductions, has the option to buy the project after six years when the bank has realized the state and federal credits.
Oregon taxpayers are the biggest contributors to the project in the form of a business energy tax credit equal to nearly 50 percent of its cost. Federal tax breaks are good for another 30 percent of the cost. Oregon ratepayers contributed $1.75 million from the public purpose charges that are tacked on to their electricity bills each month and administered by the Energy Trust of Oregon. PGE's green power customers, who pay a premium on their monthly bills to buy renewable power, also made a $250,000 contribution to the project.
More
The Oregonian’s continuing coverage of Oregon's largest solar highway project at Baldock I-5 rest area.
Renewable energy credits generated by the project will go to the ETO, ODOT and PGE, helping those organizations meet renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.
Organizers stressed that the Baldock array is an "all-Oregon" effort, with solar panels made by SolarWorld in Hillsboro, inverters from Advanced Energy of Bend, and consulting, construction and other materials provided by local firms. An interpretive display will be installed at the rest stop so travelers can learn about the array.
The project comprises almost 7,000 panels spread over seven acres of land owned by ODOT behind the rest area. It will generate up to 1.97 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year -- about 9 percent of the electricity consumed by the agency in the utility's service territory. PGE hopes to flip the switch in January.
Like most renewable energy projects, the $10 million solar array has complex and heavily subsidized financing. Bank of America is the owner and "tax equity partner" for the deal under a sale-leaseback transaction with PGE, which will build, operate and buy power from the project. PGE, which has no appetite for the tax deductions, has the option to buy the project after six years when the bank has realized the state and federal credits.
Oregon taxpayers are the biggest contributors to the project in the form of a business energy tax credit equal to nearly 50 percent of its cost. Federal tax breaks are good for another 30 percent of the cost. Oregon ratepayers contributed $1.75 million from the public purpose charges that are tacked on to their electricity bills each month and administered by the Energy Trust of Oregon. PGE's green power customers, who pay a premium on their monthly bills to buy renewable power, also made a $250,000 contribution to the project.
More
The Oregonian’s continuing coverage of Oregon's largest solar highway project at Baldock I-5 rest area.
Renewable energy credits generated by the project will go to the ETO, ODOT and PGE, helping those organizations meet renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.
Organizers stressed that the Baldock array is an "all-Oregon" effort, with solar panels made by SolarWorld in Hillsboro, inverters from Advanced Energy of Bend, and consulting, construction and other materials provided by local firms. An interpretive display will be installed at the rest stop so travelers can learn about the array.
2011年8月22日星期一
Suntech Loss Widens Despite Higher Revenue
Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP, K3ND.SG) posted a larger second-quarter loss, despite jumps in revenue and shipments, as lower prices and higher costs hit the bottom line and the company cut its 2011 earnings forecast.
The China-based solar-panel manufacturing giant booked operating expenses of $204 million, up 44% from a year ago, with much of the cost tied to the termination of a supply contract with solar-wafer maker MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR) and a much smaller charge tied to discontinued operations at a German subsidiary.
Despite "challenging times" for the industry, Suntech plans to meet its goal of shipping 2.2 gigawatts of solar products this year, although the company cut its revenue view for the year to $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion, down 3% from its May outlook.
"There is no doubt we are entering through challenging times as an industry," Suntech Chief Financial Officer David King said during a conference call with analysts. But he added that Suntech is working to cut costs and debt.
Suntech also expects demand to pick up later this year in Germany and Italy, as well as China, said Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Beebe.
Suntech said it expects third-quarter solar-panel shipments to rise more than 15% compared with the second quarter.
Shares of Suntech were recently trading 3 cents lower at $5.07, erasing earlier gains.
Suntech has boosted manufacturing of silicon wafers - the key ingredient in solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity - to serve about half of its needs. Being able to make wafers in-house will save the company $400 million over the next five years, Chief Executive Shi Zhengrong said.
Suntech reported a loss of $259.5 million, or $1.44 an American depositary share, compared with a loss of $174.9 million, or 97 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Suntech reported a loss of 19 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of 3 cents a share.
Revenue jumped 33% to $830.7 million.
The China-based solar-panel manufacturing giant booked operating expenses of $204 million, up 44% from a year ago, with much of the cost tied to the termination of a supply contract with solar-wafer maker MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR) and a much smaller charge tied to discontinued operations at a German subsidiary.
Despite "challenging times" for the industry, Suntech plans to meet its goal of shipping 2.2 gigawatts of solar products this year, although the company cut its revenue view for the year to $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion, down 3% from its May outlook.
"There is no doubt we are entering through challenging times as an industry," Suntech Chief Financial Officer David King said during a conference call with analysts. But he added that Suntech is working to cut costs and debt.
Suntech also expects demand to pick up later this year in Germany and Italy, as well as China, said Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Beebe.
Suntech said it expects third-quarter solar-panel shipments to rise more than 15% compared with the second quarter.
Shares of Suntech were recently trading 3 cents lower at $5.07, erasing earlier gains.
Suntech has boosted manufacturing of silicon wafers - the key ingredient in solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity - to serve about half of its needs. Being able to make wafers in-house will save the company $400 million over the next five years, Chief Executive Shi Zhengrong said.
Suntech reported a loss of $259.5 million, or $1.44 an American depositary share, compared with a loss of $174.9 million, or 97 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Suntech reported a loss of 19 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of 3 cents a share.
Revenue jumped 33% to $830.7 million.
2011年8月21日星期日
13-year-old's solar project generates heat if not light
Who decided solar panels should be flat?
A seventh-grader from New York has worked out that solar panels arranged more like tree branches may capture more light than flat panels.
For real, kind of. Aidan Dwyer, 13, noticed that tree branch patterns are Fibonacci numbers, postulated that it had to do with photosynthesis, took some pretty involved measurements of an oak tree, built a PVC-pipe solar array in the same shape, built a flat solar panel, compared how much light each captured over time, and voila, he had an award-winning science experiment and a great-sounding theory: trees evolved with these patterns for good reason. He found that tree-shaped pattern is as much as 50 percent more efficient than the flat panel, depending on the time of year.
The seventh-grader's explanation was that the Fibonacci pattern keeps branches out of each others' shadows in full light and at the same time allows the tree to garner as much light as possible when some branches are in shadow and others in light.
Dwyer wrote up the results in an essay that includes details of a winter hike in the Catskills, the centuries-old history of humans noticing these patterns throughout nature (from shell structure to Galaxy shape), and a nice description of the way Fibonacci explained the numbers using the rabbit birthrate and Sanskrit poetry. The essay won the American Museum of Natural History Young Naturalist award.
Here's where the story takes an interesting turn. More than one scientist has poured cold water on Dwyer's theory, while others have cautioned not so fast. It's a good lesson in the importance of peer review before publishing. Just as tree branches are arranged the way they are for a reason, so are today's silicon solar cells.
And even if Dwyer's experiment holds up to scrutiny, there's a lot involved in making a successful solar module. After theory, proof of concept, peer review, and one or more back-to-the-drawing-boards, you still have cost of manufacturing and competition with other technologies.
But the kid isn't necessarily barking up the wrong tree. Some of the world's leading energy researchers are working on mimicking trees. The key is using inexpensive solar cells that work well in diffuse light.
Dwyer's next move is to study different kinds of trees to find the most efficient design for his PVC solar array. He's also applied for a patent.
Nice work for junior high. I hope Dwyer falls in with some inspiring science teachers. And I like his DIY attitude. So what's this kid going to do in high school? I've got a suggestion--once you've solved the energy problem (even if this first attempt doesn't do the trick), how about moving on to the global food crisis?
A seventh-grader from New York has worked out that solar panels arranged more like tree branches may capture more light than flat panels.
For real, kind of. Aidan Dwyer, 13, noticed that tree branch patterns are Fibonacci numbers, postulated that it had to do with photosynthesis, took some pretty involved measurements of an oak tree, built a PVC-pipe solar array in the same shape, built a flat solar panel, compared how much light each captured over time, and voila, he had an award-winning science experiment and a great-sounding theory: trees evolved with these patterns for good reason. He found that tree-shaped pattern is as much as 50 percent more efficient than the flat panel, depending on the time of year.
The seventh-grader's explanation was that the Fibonacci pattern keeps branches out of each others' shadows in full light and at the same time allows the tree to garner as much light as possible when some branches are in shadow and others in light.
Dwyer wrote up the results in an essay that includes details of a winter hike in the Catskills, the centuries-old history of humans noticing these patterns throughout nature (from shell structure to Galaxy shape), and a nice description of the way Fibonacci explained the numbers using the rabbit birthrate and Sanskrit poetry. The essay won the American Museum of Natural History Young Naturalist award.
Here's where the story takes an interesting turn. More than one scientist has poured cold water on Dwyer's theory, while others have cautioned not so fast. It's a good lesson in the importance of peer review before publishing. Just as tree branches are arranged the way they are for a reason, so are today's silicon solar cells.
And even if Dwyer's experiment holds up to scrutiny, there's a lot involved in making a successful solar module. After theory, proof of concept, peer review, and one or more back-to-the-drawing-boards, you still have cost of manufacturing and competition with other technologies.
But the kid isn't necessarily barking up the wrong tree. Some of the world's leading energy researchers are working on mimicking trees. The key is using inexpensive solar cells that work well in diffuse light.
Dwyer's next move is to study different kinds of trees to find the most efficient design for his PVC solar array. He's also applied for a patent.
Nice work for junior high. I hope Dwyer falls in with some inspiring science teachers. And I like his DIY attitude. So what's this kid going to do in high school? I've got a suggestion--once you've solved the energy problem (even if this first attempt doesn't do the trick), how about moving on to the global food crisis?
2011年8月18日星期四
Solar Trust Switches 500MW Power Plant to PV
Solar Trust said today that it will convert a 500 megawatt solar thermal power plant it had been planning in Blythe, California into a 500 megawatt plant made from photovoltaic panels.
The shift comes because of "improved market conditions" for building power plants with PV modules. Solar modules from some vendors now cost as little as $1.30 a watt, according to GTM Research. The switch will mean the company has to walk away from a $2.1 billion federal loan guarantee.
Switching to PV will also let Solar Trust build the plant in 250 megawatt increments, making financing and planning easier.
The 500 megawatt power plant is the first half a 1 gigawatt development so it's probably fair to look at this as a 1 gigawatt loss for the thermal industry. Solar Trust hasn't said what happens to the second half of the project, but one can guess.
Last year, we predicted that solar thermal power plants would soon begin to face severe competition from solar modules because of the rapid decline in the price of modules and the fact that PV plants are easier to build than thermal plants. Soon after, solar thermal plants began to run into trouble or get converted to PV projects. Stirling Energy gave up on two thermal power plants totaling over 1.5 gigawatt. NRG Energy converted two thermal projects to PV. Government agencies were helping thermal too: both the California Energy Commission and The Department of the Interior have been approving thermal projects.
If you add in the 500 megawatts that got canceled today, a total of 3 gigawatts of solar thermal projects have been converted to PV projects, according to GTM concentrating solar power analyst Brett Prior.
Prior further estimated that the installed cost of a thermal plants might be around $5.79 per watt while the installed cost for utility-scale PV plants is closer to $3.40.
Solar module prices alone have dropped 30 percent so far this year and we're only in the third quarter.
While the earlier conversions hurt, today's news is arguably even worse because Solar Trust had already achieved regulatory approval. It also won a $2.1 billion loan guarantee from the DOE in April to build a thermal plant. Solar Trust now must tinker with its application and walk away from the loan guarantee.
This is like your mother entering someone else's child in the talent contest.
Solar Trust has an existing JV with another company for PV plants.
Solar Trust said it will still consider building thermal plants overseas. Developers can put big tanks of molten salt at their thermal power plants to save solar heat until night and make power then. PV plants can't do that. To store power at PV plants, you need batteries, which can be expensive. Both BrightSource and SolarReserve have touted molten salt. It's great technology. Unfortunately, some, if not most, U.S. utilities have been less enthused about getting energy storage through molten salt now. They like the concept, but aren't always willing to pay for it now.
Several companies could be impacted by this. Competitor BrightSource Energy, for instance, is in the midst of raising interest in an IPO. This latest cancelation will likely prompt lots of questions from Wall Street. BrightSource relies on different underlying technology which BrightSource (and others) say is cheaper than the traditional technologies, but many of the PV/thermal issues apply. The California Energy Commission has approved a BrightSource project for PG&E but BrightSource has two follow-on projects that are still in the approval and financing stages.
Equipment suppliers to thermal plants will get hit too. Schott Solar makes mirrors for these power plants. PV vendors--perhaps Chinese vendors or U.S.-based companies like First Solar and SunPower will benefit.
The shift comes because of "improved market conditions" for building power plants with PV modules. Solar modules from some vendors now cost as little as $1.30 a watt, according to GTM Research. The switch will mean the company has to walk away from a $2.1 billion federal loan guarantee.
Switching to PV will also let Solar Trust build the plant in 250 megawatt increments, making financing and planning easier.
The 500 megawatt power plant is the first half a 1 gigawatt development so it's probably fair to look at this as a 1 gigawatt loss for the thermal industry. Solar Trust hasn't said what happens to the second half of the project, but one can guess.
Last year, we predicted that solar thermal power plants would soon begin to face severe competition from solar modules because of the rapid decline in the price of modules and the fact that PV plants are easier to build than thermal plants. Soon after, solar thermal plants began to run into trouble or get converted to PV projects. Stirling Energy gave up on two thermal power plants totaling over 1.5 gigawatt. NRG Energy converted two thermal projects to PV. Government agencies were helping thermal too: both the California Energy Commission and The Department of the Interior have been approving thermal projects.
If you add in the 500 megawatts that got canceled today, a total of 3 gigawatts of solar thermal projects have been converted to PV projects, according to GTM concentrating solar power analyst Brett Prior.
Prior further estimated that the installed cost of a thermal plants might be around $5.79 per watt while the installed cost for utility-scale PV plants is closer to $3.40.
Solar module prices alone have dropped 30 percent so far this year and we're only in the third quarter.
While the earlier conversions hurt, today's news is arguably even worse because Solar Trust had already achieved regulatory approval. It also won a $2.1 billion loan guarantee from the DOE in April to build a thermal plant. Solar Trust now must tinker with its application and walk away from the loan guarantee.
This is like your mother entering someone else's child in the talent contest.
Solar Trust has an existing JV with another company for PV plants.
Solar Trust said it will still consider building thermal plants overseas. Developers can put big tanks of molten salt at their thermal power plants to save solar heat until night and make power then. PV plants can't do that. To store power at PV plants, you need batteries, which can be expensive. Both BrightSource and SolarReserve have touted molten salt. It's great technology. Unfortunately, some, if not most, U.S. utilities have been less enthused about getting energy storage through molten salt now. They like the concept, but aren't always willing to pay for it now.
Several companies could be impacted by this. Competitor BrightSource Energy, for instance, is in the midst of raising interest in an IPO. This latest cancelation will likely prompt lots of questions from Wall Street. BrightSource relies on different underlying technology which BrightSource (and others) say is cheaper than the traditional technologies, but many of the PV/thermal issues apply. The California Energy Commission has approved a BrightSource project for PG&E but BrightSource has two follow-on projects that are still in the approval and financing stages.
Equipment suppliers to thermal plants will get hit too. Schott Solar makes mirrors for these power plants. PV vendors--perhaps Chinese vendors or U.S.-based companies like First Solar and SunPower will benefit.
2011年8月15日星期一
SolarVision(TM) Revolutionizing Solar Power Industry
Just two years after SolarVision(TM) solar arrays began harnessing the sun's power in Ohio, the company finds itself at the cusp of revolutionizing the way Ohioans--and Americans view and use renewable energy on a daily basis. What began with a couple hundred solar panels on the roof of an elementary school is quickly becoming a collection of tens of thousands of solar panels totaling more than 20 megawatts of power. With $70 million in projects under contract and an additional $15 million pending, SolarVision(TM) has experienced astounding growth since its inception.
"We have been amazed at the amount of demand for solar power we have encountered in the last two years," said SolarVision(TM) president Greg Kuss. "Government and business leaders are realizing that not only is solar panel power infinitely cleaner and better for the environment than traditional power generation processes, but with today's technology it can also be more cost-effective."
This summer SolarVision(TM) broke ground on its biggest project yet--the first phase of what will become a 5 megawatt solar array in Celina, OH, encompassing more than 12,000 solar panels on city-owned land. According to Celina planning and community development director Kent Bryan, PE, partnering with SolarVision(TM) "is an economic and environmental win-win" for cities seeking to make a positive impact in their communities.
"What attracts municipalities and private industry to SolarVision(TM) is the fact that they can enjoy all the benefits of solar-generated electricity--clean power at competitive prices--without having to own or maintain the solar equipment," added Mike Dickman, SolarVision(TM) vice president over construction operations and sales.
Such public-private partnerships are more viable today than they were just a few years ago thanks to the 2008 passing of SB 221, which provides tax credits for renewable energy initiatives such as the solar projects undertaken by SolarVision(TM).
SolarVision(TM) has partnered with municipalities and other institutions to build solar power systems in Washington Court House, Worthington, Newcomerstown, Athens, OH, with projects in the works in several other locations.
"We're on the verge of taking this energy model to scale, where electricity made from the sun will be considered mainstream," Kuss said. "And with the rate SolarVision(TM) is progressing now, we plan to be a big part of making than happen."
"We have been amazed at the amount of demand for solar power we have encountered in the last two years," said SolarVision(TM) president Greg Kuss. "Government and business leaders are realizing that not only is solar panel power infinitely cleaner and better for the environment than traditional power generation processes, but with today's technology it can also be more cost-effective."
This summer SolarVision(TM) broke ground on its biggest project yet--the first phase of what will become a 5 megawatt solar array in Celina, OH, encompassing more than 12,000 solar panels on city-owned land. According to Celina planning and community development director Kent Bryan, PE, partnering with SolarVision(TM) "is an economic and environmental win-win" for cities seeking to make a positive impact in their communities.
"What attracts municipalities and private industry to SolarVision(TM) is the fact that they can enjoy all the benefits of solar-generated electricity--clean power at competitive prices--without having to own or maintain the solar equipment," added Mike Dickman, SolarVision(TM) vice president over construction operations and sales.
Such public-private partnerships are more viable today than they were just a few years ago thanks to the 2008 passing of SB 221, which provides tax credits for renewable energy initiatives such as the solar projects undertaken by SolarVision(TM).
SolarVision(TM) has partnered with municipalities and other institutions to build solar power systems in Washington Court House, Worthington, Newcomerstown, Athens, OH, with projects in the works in several other locations.
"We're on the verge of taking this energy model to scale, where electricity made from the sun will be considered mainstream," Kuss said. "And with the rate SolarVision(TM) is progressing now, we plan to be a big part of making than happen."
2011年8月14日星期日
Manipulation & heating specialists for ultra high vaccum applications
These days, black panels can be seen on many building roofs, particularly in Southern Germany. Many of these solar collectors are used to heat water, but increasingly there are also photovoltaic systems that directly convert the light of the sun into electrical current. To date, however, only some 2% of electrical current in Germany comes from solar energy, because solar cells are costly and complicated, particularly in production. Researchers from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are developing innovative production methods to change this. Lasers in particular create whole new potentials for production. Dr. Malte Schulz-Ruhtenberg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT explains the main advantage: "Laser technology permits contact-free, precise and quick processing." As a result, better solar cells can be produced at lower cost.
One example is high-rate laser drilling, which creates tiny holes in solar cells very precisely and quickly. Why? A classic solar cell generates current through the photoelectric effect. It consists of several conducting and semiconducting layers. When light falls onto the cell, negative charge carriers are released from their bonds, and electrical current flows as a result. To date, the contacts for drawing away the electric current generated have been positioned at the front and rear of the cell. Moving all of the contacts to the rear, where they do not cast a shadow, increases the level of energy generated. The holes pave the way for this approach, which is known as "emitter wrap-through", or EWT for short.
Special polygon scanners can be utilized to provide for even higher speeds and higher throughput rates. With these laser scanners, rotating polygonal mirrors precisely deflect millions of laser pulses per second. This allows them to process large areas very quickly. "This is a promising technology that can be used for many laser processes," Dr. Schulz-Ruhtenberg points out.
Precise and gentle on the Material
Aside from speed, the possibility to control all properties of the laser light also plays a major role in solar technology; after all, the cells and wafers – the basic elements of a solar cell – are sensitive. Laser beams can be so finely dosed and controlled that they place nearly no strain on the cells. This is why the Fraunhofer-researchers use them for nearly everything: to drill, melt, cut or solder.
Ultra-short-pulse lasers are used, for instance, to insulate a solar cell‘s front and back sides from one another. These lasers are gentler than other methods, and that is important, since a large portion of the costs involved owes to damage and breakage during production.
Testing automation systems
Oftentimes, damage is caused by the different kinds of handling devices that manufacturers use in their production environments. They are designed to be as quick and accurate as possible but without damaging the sensitive parts. This reduces the costs involved. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, researchers are working to improve the automated handling of wafers and solar cells. "In our test and demonstration center, we are trying to physically simulate handling and automation in photovoltaics and based on this optimizing it," explains Roland Wertz, the project manager responsible at IPA.
This facility provides an interface between industrial production and research service in the area of automation. All of the factors and parameters are recorded under highly-realistic conditions, including factors that influence the precision and speed of various gripper systems. They are assisted in this by the robot ABB IRB 360, also known as FlexPicker, which can also be seen at the Fraunhofer stand. To conduct experiments it is used as a manipulator which can be equipped with various gripping devices that are based on different functional principles. This enables the scientists to analyze and assess products made by various manufacturers and in a standardized way. After all, each specific application has its own requirements and calls for optimized handling.
Less Is More
Savings and improvements are not limited to the production process; they are also directed at the materials used. No more than absolutely necessary - that is the principle behind thin-film solar cells. These usually consist of an inexpensive substrate to which the electrically active material is applied in the form of an ultra-thin film. To be able to produce thin-layer solar cells that are of high quality and economically to make, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST has developed various processes that improve each and every step of production.
For instance, the semi-conductor layers, the heart of the solar cell, are produced using the hot wire CVD process. "One benefit over conventional methods is the gentle form of coating production," explains Dr. Volker Sittinger of IST. In conventional, plasma-activated CVD, during the coating process the material is bombarded with high-energy particles. The hot wire CVD approach is different: there, the gases that create the film are not activated in plasma but on hot wires. The result is a gentle approach to creating films of high quality. Better use can also be made of the silane gas required in production. "With the hot wire CVD method, we convert up to 90% of the gas used to film material", Sittinger adds.
Recently developed for the contact layers on the front and rear of the cell is the C² coating technology (cylindrical magnetron co-sputtering). With this technology, the material composition can be varied during the coating process. And there are plans to thin things down even further. Coatings only a few nanometers thick are expected with a new type of 3-dimensional solar cell design. The only way to achieve this is with a precision-contour precipitation of the layers, but there is a method to accomplish this: ALD, which stands for atomic layer deposition, stems from the field of nanotechnology.There is thus no need for solar cells to remain unaffordable expensive. New technologies could propel solar energy a major step forward.
One example is high-rate laser drilling, which creates tiny holes in solar cells very precisely and quickly. Why? A classic solar cell generates current through the photoelectric effect. It consists of several conducting and semiconducting layers. When light falls onto the cell, negative charge carriers are released from their bonds, and electrical current flows as a result. To date, the contacts for drawing away the electric current generated have been positioned at the front and rear of the cell. Moving all of the contacts to the rear, where they do not cast a shadow, increases the level of energy generated. The holes pave the way for this approach, which is known as "emitter wrap-through", or EWT for short.
Special polygon scanners can be utilized to provide for even higher speeds and higher throughput rates. With these laser scanners, rotating polygonal mirrors precisely deflect millions of laser pulses per second. This allows them to process large areas very quickly. "This is a promising technology that can be used for many laser processes," Dr. Schulz-Ruhtenberg points out.
Precise and gentle on the Material
Aside from speed, the possibility to control all properties of the laser light also plays a major role in solar technology; after all, the cells and wafers – the basic elements of a solar cell – are sensitive. Laser beams can be so finely dosed and controlled that they place nearly no strain on the cells. This is why the Fraunhofer-researchers use them for nearly everything: to drill, melt, cut or solder.
Ultra-short-pulse lasers are used, for instance, to insulate a solar cell‘s front and back sides from one another. These lasers are gentler than other methods, and that is important, since a large portion of the costs involved owes to damage and breakage during production.
Testing automation systems
Oftentimes, damage is caused by the different kinds of handling devices that manufacturers use in their production environments. They are designed to be as quick and accurate as possible but without damaging the sensitive parts. This reduces the costs involved. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, researchers are working to improve the automated handling of wafers and solar cells. "In our test and demonstration center, we are trying to physically simulate handling and automation in photovoltaics and based on this optimizing it," explains Roland Wertz, the project manager responsible at IPA.
This facility provides an interface between industrial production and research service in the area of automation. All of the factors and parameters are recorded under highly-realistic conditions, including factors that influence the precision and speed of various gripper systems. They are assisted in this by the robot ABB IRB 360, also known as FlexPicker, which can also be seen at the Fraunhofer stand. To conduct experiments it is used as a manipulator which can be equipped with various gripping devices that are based on different functional principles. This enables the scientists to analyze and assess products made by various manufacturers and in a standardized way. After all, each specific application has its own requirements and calls for optimized handling.
Less Is More
Savings and improvements are not limited to the production process; they are also directed at the materials used. No more than absolutely necessary - that is the principle behind thin-film solar cells. These usually consist of an inexpensive substrate to which the electrically active material is applied in the form of an ultra-thin film. To be able to produce thin-layer solar cells that are of high quality and economically to make, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST has developed various processes that improve each and every step of production.
For instance, the semi-conductor layers, the heart of the solar cell, are produced using the hot wire CVD process. "One benefit over conventional methods is the gentle form of coating production," explains Dr. Volker Sittinger of IST. In conventional, plasma-activated CVD, during the coating process the material is bombarded with high-energy particles. The hot wire CVD approach is different: there, the gases that create the film are not activated in plasma but on hot wires. The result is a gentle approach to creating films of high quality. Better use can also be made of the silane gas required in production. "With the hot wire CVD method, we convert up to 90% of the gas used to film material", Sittinger adds.
Recently developed for the contact layers on the front and rear of the cell is the C² coating technology (cylindrical magnetron co-sputtering). With this technology, the material composition can be varied during the coating process. And there are plans to thin things down even further. Coatings only a few nanometers thick are expected with a new type of 3-dimensional solar cell design. The only way to achieve this is with a precision-contour precipitation of the layers, but there is a method to accomplish this: ALD, which stands for atomic layer deposition, stems from the field of nanotechnology.There is thus no need for solar cells to remain unaffordable expensive. New technologies could propel solar energy a major step forward.
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