Solar Module Manufacturing
Summary
TLDRThis video script explores the fascinating process of solar module production, from extracting silicon from sand to creating efficient solar cells. It details the transformation of silica sand into high-purity silicon, the creation of ingots, and the slicing into wafers. The script highlights the importance of cleanliness and precision in solar cell production, where impurities are systematically added to form p-n junctions, enabling the flow of electrons and electricity generation. The video also showcases the assembly of cells into modules, capable of powering homes and large-scale solar plants, emphasizing the growing role of solar energy in the shift towards renewable energy sources.
Takeaways
- 🌞 Solar cells are a reliable way to produce electricity using the power of the sun without the need for operating supplies.
- 🏭 The production of solar modules is facilitated by integrated factories that include various stages from silicon extraction to module assembly.
- 🏜️ The process begins with silica sand, which is rich in silicon dioxide, the primary material used to extract silicon for solar cells.
- 🔥 Metallurgical grade silicon is produced by melting sand with carbon at high temperatures, resulting in a silicon purity of nearly 99%.
- 🧪 High purity polysilicon, necessary for solar power production, is achieved through a series of chemical processes including distillation and deposition.
- ⚙️ The addition of impurities like boron and phosphorus during the manufacturing process creates the necessary p-n junction for solar cells to generate electricity.
- 🔬 Producing solar cells involves a meticulous process that includes wafering, where silicon ingots are cut into thin slices for use in solar cells.
- 🔍 Quality control is crucial in solar cell production, with measures such as chemical treatments and high-temperature processes to ensure efficiency.
- 🔗 Solar cells are assembled into modules, which can then be installed in various settings to harness solar energy for power generation.
- 🌿 Solar power is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly, with modules producing energy that offsets their production costs within a few years.
- 🌐 The transition to renewable energy sources like solar is significant for the global energy supply, with large-scale solar plants contributing to this shift.
Q & A
What is the primary function of solar cells?
-Solar cells produce electricity reliably and without the need for operating supplies, simply using the power of the sun.
How does GP Solar and SolIC contribute to the solar energy industry?
-GP Solar and SolIC provide supporting services to enable the production of solar modules at a low price in integrated factories, making solar energy a more significant part of power production.
What is the starting material for producing solar-grade silicon?
-The starting material is silica sand, which mainly contains silicon dioxide, from which silicon is extracted.
At what temperature is metallurgical grade silicon produced?
-Metallurgical grade silicon is produced by melting silica sand with a carbon source at over 2,000 degrees Celsius.
What is the purity level of metallurgical grade silicon?
-Metallurgical grade silicon has a purity of almost 99%.
Why is a higher purity level required for solar power production?
-Solar power production requires a purity level of at least 99.999999% to ensure efficient electron flow and optimal solar cell performance.
How is the purity of silicon increased to meet the requirements for solar cells?
-The purity is increased by liquefying the silicon, cleaning it through distillation, and depositing it onto a silicon seed sample in the poly silicon factory.
What is the role of boron and phosphorus in the production of solar cells?
-Boron is added to the silicon during ingot production, and phosphorus is diffused into the silicon during cell processing to create two different layers that form a barrier for electrons, which is crucial for electricity generation.
How are silicon ingots produced?
-Silicon ingots are produced by either solidifying multicrystalline silicon as a block or pulling a single crystal of monocrystalline silicon from molten silicon.
What is the purpose of the wafering process in solar cell production?
-The wafering process cuts ingots into thin slices, called wafers, which are then used to produce solar cells.
How are solar cells transformed into modules in the module factory?
-In the module factory, solar cells are placed in rows, soldered together, and connected to form modules. These modules are then protected with a sheet of glass, sealed, and tested under simulated sun conditions before being packed and shipped.
What is the significance of the energy payback time for solar modules?
-Solar modules have an energy payback time of about 2 years, meaning they produce the energy required for their entire production, including setup, within this period.
Outlines
🌞 The Wonders of Solar Energy Production
This paragraph introduces the marvel of solar cells, which harness the power of the sun to produce electricity without the need for operating supplies. It highlights the collaborative efforts of companies like GP Solar and SolIC in providing services to make solar modules affordable and accessible. The script takes the viewer on a journey through an integrated solar factory, detailing the process from extracting silicon from sand to producing solar cells. The process begins with metallurgical-grade silicon, which is refined to a high purity level necessary for solar power production. The script emphasizes the abundance of silicon, the second most common element in the Earth's crust, ensuring a sustainable supply for solar energy production.
🔬 The Science Behind Solar Cells
This section delves into the science of solar cell production, explaining how the addition of boron and phosphorus creates a barrier that allows electrons to flow and generate electricity. It outlines the transformation of highly pure silicon into ingots, either multicrystalline or monocrystalline, and the subsequent production of wafers. The process is meticulous, with cleanliness being paramount to ensure cell efficiency. The script describes the steps in a clean room environment, where wafers undergo surface treatment and form the crucial barrier that defines the solar cell's positive and negative junction. The wafers then proceed to the cell production facility, where they are transformed into solar cells capable of harnessing the sun's energy.
🏭 From Silicon to Solar Modules
The final paragraph focuses on the assembly of solar cells into modules, which are the units that can be installed to generate electricity. It explains how cells are connected and protected with glass and foil to ensure a lifespan of over 20 years. The script also touches on the environmental benefits of solar power, noting that the energy used in production is offset within two years of operation. The paragraph concludes with a look at the larger impact of solar energy, with massive open-air plants contributing significantly to the global energy supply. It ends with an invitation for viewers to engage with GP Solar and SolIC for planning and implementing state-of-the-art solar factories, emphasizing the role of integrated and specialized production in advancing renewable energy solutions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Solar Cells
💡Silicon
💡Purity
💡Crystallization Furnace
💡Wafers
💡Doping
💡Photovoltaic Effect
💡Module Factory
💡Energy Production
💡Renewable Energy
💡Integrated Factory
Highlights
Solar cells produce electricity using the power of the sun without any operating supplies.
GP solar and SolIC provide supporting services for the production of solar modules at a low price.
Solar energy is becoming a more important part of power production.
The process of making solar modules begins with sand, specifically silica sand, which is rich in silicon dioxide.
Silicon is the second most common element in the Earth's crust, ensuring a plentiful supply.
Metalogical grade silicon is produced by melting sand with carbon at over 2000 degrees Celsius.
The silicon produced still contains 1% impurities, requiring further purification for solar power production.
High purity silicon is achieved through a distillation process in tall towers, removing impurities.
Purified gas is transformed into highly pure silicon in semen reactors.
Boron is added to silicon to create a p-n junction, which is essential for solar cell function.
Phosphorus is diffused into the silicon to create an electric field that drives electron flow.
Solar cells are made from either multicrystalline or monocrystalline silicon.
The crystallization process in a clean room is crucial for the quality of the silicon ingots.
Wafers are produced by slicing ingots into thin pieces, less than 0.2 mm thick.
The production facility is treated like a clean room to ensure the purity of the solar cells.
Phosphorus diffusion and the printing of silver stripes are key steps in converting wafers into solar cells.
Modules are created by combining many cells to provide power for over 25 years.
Solar power is becoming more cost-effective, with large plants contributing significantly to the energy supply.
GP solar and SolIC offer planning and implementation services for integrated, state-of-the-art solar factories.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Music]
oh
[Music]
[Music]
hello solar cells produce electricity
reliable and without the need for any
operating supplies simply with the power
of the
sun we are fascinated by this technology
together with many millions of people
who already draw electricity from the
Sun with big and small solar plants we
from GP solar and solic provide our
supporting services so solar modules can
be produced at a low price in huge
integrated factories and solar energy
can at last become a more important part
of power production I invite you to
discover the making of solar modules
together with
me an integrated solar
Factory with a production site for the
meterological
Silicon the big polysilicon
plant the crystallization furnace for
Ingot
production the wafer
production the solar cell production
side and the module
Factory there is also a central
administration
building as well as optionally a solar
cell
Academy and an own solar power
[Music]
plant in the beginning there is sand
silica sand to be exact since it
contains mainly silicon dioxide from
which we extract the precious silicon by
the way silicon is the second most
common element in the Earth's crust so
we won't run out of it together with
coal or other source of carbon the
Silicon sand is melted down at over
2,000 de C the result is metalogical
grade silicon with a purity of almost
99% when it cools down metalogical grade
silicon solidifies into a shiny Crystal
such as
these metallurgical great silicon can be
made of nearly any kind of
sand still it makes sense to use very
pure materials
here with a purity of already 99% may be
reached to produce it the silica sand is
put in a furnace together with a source
of
[Music]
carbon this alloy is melted down at
2000° using an electric Arc in this
process
the oxygen and silicon bonds are broken
and carbon dioxide and the Silicon that
we want to extract are
formed no great difference at first s
metalogical silicon and poly silicon but
this one still contains 1% of impurities
while solar power production needs a
purity level of at least
99.999999% such a high Purity can only
be produced by liquefying the Silicon
cleaning it by distillation and finally
depositing it onto a silicon seed
sample the metallurgical silicon will be
cleaned to a very high Purity in the
poly silicon Factory since it is very
difficult to clean it in its solid state
the chemical process is done the chunks
are Mill and liquefied and then this
fluid is cleaned in a distillation proc
process this happens in the high towers
that can be seen
here afterwards it is directed into the
so-called semen reactors and this is how
the purified gas is transformed into
highly pure silicon the gas is fed into
the reactor where it deposits on the
bars in order to process the Silicon in
the next step it is broken into pieces
again and then Carri it to the Ingot
Factory pure silicon the basis for our
solar power production is created but
how can we make the electrons flow in
the Silicon what makes our little water
pump work just with the power of the Sun
a silicon solar cell it can create
electricity because of this trick during
the manufacturing of ingots Boron is
added to the silicon and later during
the processing of a cell phosphorus is
diffused into the
Silicon as a result two different layers
are created
the region between the layers creates a
kind of wall for the
electrons they cannot get past this
barrier by themselves but by the help of
phon they can overcome
it now more and more electrons gather at
the upper side of the solar cell where
they push each other aside but they
cannot cross back because of the
barrier like connecting the upper and
lower side of the cell with a conducting
wire the electrons can return through
this
wire to this point we have produced
highly pure silicon this is also used in
the microelectronic industry in order to
produce solar cells impurities must be
added systematically at first Boron is
added afterwards an Ingot of silicon is
manufactured either as a block of
solidified multicrystalline silicon or
as a single Crystal of monocrystalline
silicon pulled from molten silicon both
are possible ways but in the following
we will have a closer look onto multi
line silicon
only for the first time we are in a
clean room the chunks of polysilicon are
filled in a crucible and then a vial of
barn is
added Al together it is brought into the
crystallization oven where it is
[Music]
melted by regulating the cooling it is
possible to remove unwanted
[Music]
substances once the Silicon has
solidified The Crucible is removed and
the Ingot is carried to the nearby wave
effect
[Music]
just gently pressing and the cooked egg
is split into many
slices the next production step The
wafering Works in a similar way the
first cutting creates bricks with the
correct Edge
length these are then cut into VAR s
slices each less than .2 mm thick these
Wafers are then used for producing Sol
cells the wafering is done in two
steps at first the Ingot this large
block coming from the Ingot Factory is
cut into
[Music]
bricks then these are pushed through a
wire
saw in it a several hundred kilomet long
wire carrying the so-called slurry is
put through the
brick it contains finest parts of
silicon
carbide which cut the Wafers out of the
brick they are then cleaned in a bath
and afterwards carried to the nearby
cell
production we have now passed through
the first factories and our silic sand
has turned into these wafers in a
factory like this The crucial part of
the barrier in the solar cell is formed
and thereby the positive negative
Junction in the cell is created during
this process cleaniness is of utmost
importance since even low levels of
impurities cause a bad efficiency of the
cell for this reason the production
facility is treated like a clean room
and The Operators Must ALL wear special
overalls to get such a solar cell in the
end and the wafer must run through the
following
steps here the Wafers
arrive several measuring devices
guarantee a high quality of the end
[Music]
product then the surface of the wafer is
roughed by running them through a
chemical
fluid
now in an oven at
900° the important step occurs which
converts the semiconductors into a solar
cell phosphorus is diffused into one
side of the
[Music]
cell in order to be able to pick up the
electrons later on a grid of fine silver
Stripes is printed on the
cell now several cameras examine the
cells to check the result and to measure
the cell
efficiency finally the cells are sorted
by certain criteria and then carried to
the module
Factory by now each cell can already
produce electricity in order to obtain
greater power output and to offer long
lifespan many cells are packed together
in modules now they can provide Power
for 25 plus years simply once they are
exposed to
sunlight by the way in about 2 years
they have produced the energy that is
needed for the entire production
including setting up they can be mounted
on facades on rooftops or even in great
open air plants how these modules are
produced can now be seen in the
animation of our sixth and last
Factory in the beginning of the module
Factory there are packages of solar
cells each containing cells with similar
electrical
characteristics they are first placed in
a row and then soldered
together then these rows are placed next
to each other and
connected in order to ensure that the
module can produce electricity during
its entire lifespan of more than 20
years a sheet of glass is used for
protection and an extra foil repeals
water then the modules are bonded in an
[Music]
[Applause]
oven a flash simulating the sun under
standard conditions tests the modules
before they are packed and shipped to
the
customer about 3 watt can be produced by
one solar cell more than 200 by a module
an ordinary rooftop is big enough for
approximately 5 KW
so an average house will produce more
electricity than the residents can use
solar power is also getting cheaper in
plants with several megawatt have been
built in Open Spaces functioning as
entire power plants they Harald the
change to renewable energies and already
represent a significant part of our
energy Supply the modules are produced
in highly specialized and increasingly
integrated factories GP solar and solic
would be delighted to help you in
planning and implementing an integrated
state-of-the-art
[Music]
Factory
[Music]
oh
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)