Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996

doi:https://doi.org/10.2172/453488

Title: Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996

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Abstract

Two specific objectives of Solarex`s program are to reduce the manufacturing cost for polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules to less than $1.20/watt and to increase the manufacturing capacity by a factor of three. This report highlights accomplishments during the period of January 1 through June 30, 1996. Accomplishments include: began the conversion of production casting stations to increase ingot size; operated the wire saw in a production mode with higher yields and lower costs than achieved on the ID saws; developed and qualified a new wire guide coating material that doubles the wire guide lifetime and produces significantly less scatter in wafer thickness; completed a third pilot run of the cost-effective Al paste back-surface-field (BSF) process, verifying a 5% increase in cell efficiency and demonstrating the ability to process and handle the BSF paste cells; completed environmental qualification of modules using cells produced by an all-print metallization process; optimized the design of the 15.2-cm by 15.2-cm polycrystalline silicon solar cells; demonstrated the application of a high-efficiency process in making 15.2-cm by 15.2-cm solar cells; demonstrated that cell efficiency increases with decreasing wafer thickness for the Al paste BSF cells; qualified a vendor-supplied Tedlar/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) laminate to replace the combinationmore »« less

Authors:

Wohlgemuth, J ^[1]

Solarex Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)

Publication Date:: 1997-01-01

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Solarex Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 453488

Report Number(s):: NREL/SR-520-22503
ON: DE97000208; TRN: AHC29707%%58

DOE Contract Number:: AC36-83CH10093

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Resource Relation:: Other Information: PBD: Jan 1997

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; SILICON SOLAR CELLS; PROGRESS REPORT; OPERATING COST; MANUFACTURING; CASTING; CUTTING TOOLS; PHOTOVOLTAICS; POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON; PVMAT; FRAMELESS MODULE

Citation Formats


                    Wohlgemuth, J. Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996.  United States: N. p., 1997. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/453488.

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                    Wohlgemuth, J. Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/453488

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                    Wohlgemuth, J. Wed .  
        "Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/453488.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/453488.

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@article{osti_453488,

  title        = {Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Semiannual technical report, 1 January 1996--30 June 1996},

  author       = {Wohlgemuth, J},

  abstractNote = {Two specific objectives of Solarex`s program are to reduce the manufacturing cost for polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules to less than $1.20/watt and to increase the manufacturing capacity by a factor of three. This report highlights accomplishments during the period of January 1 through June 30, 1996. Accomplishments include: began the conversion of production casting stations to increase ingot size; operated the wire saw in a production mode with higher yields and lower costs than achieved on the ID saws; developed and qualified a new wire guide coating material that doubles the wire guide lifetime and produces significantly less scatter in wafer thickness; completed a third pilot run of the cost-effective Al paste back-surface-field (BSF) process, verifying a 5% increase in cell efficiency and demonstrating the ability to process and handle the BSF paste cells; completed environmental qualification of modules using cells produced by an all-print metallization process; optimized the design of the 15.2-cm by 15.2-cm polycrystalline silicon solar cells; demonstrated the application of a high-efficiency process in making 15.2-cm by 15.2-cm solar cells; demonstrated that cell efficiency increases with decreasing wafer thickness for the Al paste BSF cells; qualified a vendor-supplied Tedlar/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) laminate to replace the combination of separate sheets of EVA and Tedlar backsheet; demonstrated the operation of a prototype unit to trim/lead attach/test modules; and demonstrated the operation of a wafer pull-down system for cassetting wet wafers.},

  doi          = {10.2172/453488},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/453488},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1997},

  month        = {1}

}

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