Continuous, Automated Manufacturing of String Ribbon Si PV Modules: Second Annual Report, 21 May 1999-20 May 2000

Technical Report · Wed Sep 13 00:00:00 EDT 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/763660· OSTI ID:763660

Hanoka, J J

This report describes the activities in manufacturing technology and in silicon ribbon characterization that were completed in the second year of a three-year PVMaT subcontract. The focus in this second year has been on capital cost reduction and automation in silicon ribbon growth, automation and process simplification in the cell area, and some automation in the module area. Evergreen has used the capabilities of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation at Boston University for help in factory layout, process flow, and efficient materials flow. Evergreen will be utilizing this as it prepares to move to a multi-megawatt factory in the latter part of 2000. Silicon ribbon characterization work has been provided for us by researchers at NREL. A patent has already been filed on this work, and two more are in preparation. Four papers on different aspects of the work have been or will be presented at various conferences here and abroad. In general, as this report shows, the project is on schedule and the overall goals are being met.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-99GO10337
• OSTI ID: 763660
• Report Number(s): NREL/SR-520-28784; TRN: AH200033%%219
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 13 Sep 2000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
PRODUCTION
MANUFACTURING
SILICON
CAPITALIZED COST
AUTOMATION
PHOTOVOLTAICS
CRYSTAL GROWTH AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY
CELL MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
MODULE MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION
MATERIAL HANDLING AND PROCESS FLOW
STRING RIBBON CHARACTERIZATION
PVMAT