Features

Product Briefing Outline: Adept Technology has launched its ‘Adept Quattro’ s650 robot that comes with a Bernoulli gripper. The new system integrates high resolution inspection with high speed solar cell handling. The Quattro robot is claimed to be the world’s fastest robot with over 200 systems sold worldwide. The Bernoulli gripper combined with the Quattro robot creates an effective method for manipulating solar cells without the potential for product damage.

Product Briefing Outline: The MANZ I-series, backend-line, has a throughput of 2400 cells/ hour, and is claimed to be the fastest backend system available in the market today. One single system includes printing, firing, laser edge isolation, cell testing and sorting for crystalline solar cells. Cell manufacturers are able to buy the system including all options such as firing and testing, as a one shop solution from MANZ. The specific design and the very low breakage rates of the system are designed to improve productivity and lowers cost of ownership (CoO).

Product Briefing Outline: Enerize Corporation has developed a new design for photovoltaic (PV) modules using a proprietary transparent polymer material that is claimed to outperform glass conventionally used as a protective covering. The proprietary polymer material is highly transparent, and stable under UV and ionizing radiation exposure. The new highly transparent polymer material can be applied directly to the PV module surface at low temperatures, eliminating the need for the adhesives required with glass and some other polymers. Evaluation of the new Enerize polymer encapsulation materials has been carried out using PV modules that include up to 5 solar cells with a surface area of 72 cm2 each.

Product Briefing Outline: GreenMountain Engineering has launched its new diagnostic instrument for measuring tracker performance, the Trac-Stat SL1. The SL1 is a high-resolution datalogging sensor that mounts on a solar tracker. It records the angle of error between the sun and the tracker for use in the development of tracking, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and solar thermal systems. Utility-scale solar company GreenVolts is testing GreenMountain's Trac-Stat SL1 as part of its concentrating photovoltaic system.

The landmark announcement of PG&E yesterday to purchase power from facilities that will have a combined capacity of 800MW got me thinking about who is really going for gold among solar power generation centres around the world.The hypothesis: “The top sporting nations in the world also offer the best prospects for the implementation of solar energy in the mainstream.”

Product Briefing Outline: MANZ print station powered by Optomec Aerosol Jet Manz offers a new print station for contact-less printing of crystalline solar cells using OPTOMEC Aerosol Jet technology and will be the exclusive sales and marketing partner for the Optomec solar applications. Optomec has developed an advanced contact free metallization process for crystalline solar cells. Manz will integrate the Optomec technology into its back end line platform.

Product Briefing Outline: Isopad has developed heating panels that offer equipment manufacturers of thin film photovoltaic cells the chance to make significantly larger cells – and lower the cost per watt of energy generated. Recent expansion of manufacturing capacity means shorter lead times & reliable delivery for these key sub assemblies.

Reports from the Euroscience Open Forum in Barcelona have once again focused on the potential of the Sahara desert region to produce ALL the electrical energy needs of Europe if a mass concentration of solar technology was to be established there.

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied E3’ advanced equipment and process control solution, intended to be a comprehensive factory automation (FA) software package for improving the productivity and reducing the costs of semiconductor, flat panel display and photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing. The modular packages utilize proprietary algorithms that are claimed to boost process capability by >30 percent, reduce unscheduled downtime, and shorten cycle time to achieve up to a 20 percent increase in overall equipment effectiveness. Applied Materials said the system has already been employed by multiple major manufacturers and is currently being used in volume production.