Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project quarterly report-2, July 1976--September 1976

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7108771· OSTI ID:7108771

The potential for future widespread use of photovoltaic systems for the generation of electric power was the motivation for the establishment, in January 1975, of the Photovoltaic Conversion Program by ERDA's Division of Solar Energy. The Program's activities are planned to develop and to promote the use of photovoltaic systems to such an extent that the private sector will produce and utilize cost-competitive photovoltaic systems. As part of the ERDA Program, the Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project (LCSSAP) was established in January 1975. The project objective is to develop the national capability to produce low-cost, long-life photovoltaic arrays at a rate greater than 500 megawatts per year and a price of less than $500 per kilowatt peak by 1986. The array performance objectives include an efficiency greater than 10% and an operating lifetime in excess of 20 years. The approach is to reduce the cost of solar cell arrays by improving solar array manufacturing technology and by increasing solar array production capacity and quantity. Forty-three contracts have been awarded to date, to industrial firms and university and independent laboratories for experimental work, process development and analysis, technology assessment, and the production of solar-array modules. Approximately 42 kW of state-of-the-art modules have been delivered; contracts have been issued and design development has begun for 130 kW of moderately advanced modules. Efforts of the LCSSA Project are organized into an Analysis and Integration Task, four Technology Development Tasks--covering the areas of Silicon Material, Large Area Silicon Sheet, Encapsulation, and Automated Array Assembly--and a Large Scale Procurement Task, an Engineering Task, and an Operations Task. Research findings are discussed, and project planning is outlined.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7108771
• Report Number(s): ERDA/JPL/1012-77/1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
COVERINGS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
FABRICATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
PLANNING
POWER PLANTS
PROCUREMENT
PRODUCTION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TESTING
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS