COVERSTORY
15
Finding invisible defects
Solar cell manufacturers have had a whirlwind approach to the market place in the last few years. The economic slowdown will speed up the industry’s natural evolution and the focus shifts to efficiency and quality as an economic differentiator. German company ESCAD Automation discuss their technology and how it can help manufacturers identify faults that currently cannot be detected
T
he efficiency of solar cells has been the most important factor to solar cell and module manufacturers as they endeavoured to increase the quality of cells they were producing. In recent years the durability of cells has become another significant issue for the industry as competition between solar cell manufacturers began to increase.
German company ESCAD Automation realised that breakage rate of solar cells would become a potential differentiator for competing companies. Breakage rates of solar cells occur mainly due to invisible defects. Solar cells are more durable when hidden defects have been reduced quantitatively and manufacturers can grade solar cells by efficiency allowing longer guarantees to customers due to assured cell durability.
ESCAD Automation goal is to become the market leader with their ELC Pinpoint full automatic electroluminescence inspection system under eSYS Photovoltaic product family with the code of eCI-005 to improve the efficiency and quality of solar cells and modules for longer guarantees before delivered from manufacturers to end customers. The ELC Pinpoint sales and satisfaction of customers in the first and second quarter of 2010 provides positive feedback to the company’s direction and to the quality of ESCAD Automation products.
Current techniques and challenges
Conventional solar cell inspection systems are able to detect and determine visible defects that appear on solar cell surfaces only. The major factor that increases the rate of solar cell breakage
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue III 2010
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