AUTOMATION
Automating Solar Manufacturing
Despite the impact of the credit crunch, photovoltaics is still a growth industry.
With increased competition and a race to grid parity, manufacturers are looking to
continuously improve their processes. John Dulchinos, President and CEO of Adept
Technology discusses how lessons learnt about automation in comparable industries
can help PV manufacturers maximise their output and yield.
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here’s no doubt that the solar As an industry considered to be in the introduction
-pv-management.com
photovoltaic (PV) industry is hot. stage of its life cycle its manufacturers are now
According to Solarbuzz, LLC an international solar contemplating the next critical steps in their
energy research and consulting company, world production processes to remain competitive and
solar photovoltaic (PV) market installations reached prepare for this demand. As stated above the key
a record high of 2,826 megawatts (MW) in 2007, for these manufacturers will be driving down costs,
representing a growth of 62% over the previous maximizing factory throughput and improving
year. World solar cell production reached a efficiencies. Automating solar processes will be the
Issue II 2009
consolidated figure of 3,436 MW in 2007, up from solar manufacturer’s first line of attack to
2,204 MW a year earlier. The PV industry raised accomplish this. Manufacturers will be wise to reap
nearly $10 billion in 2007 and generated $17.2 the benefits of experience from more mature
billion in global revenues in 2007. The U.S. has set industries that have been through the rapid growth
2015 as the goal to reach grid parity (that point associated with a developing and maturing
where solar electricity is equal to grid electricity) product line. Industries such as the semiconductor,
while other nations predict reaching it as soon as disk drive and flat-panel display industries have
2010. Regardless it’s clear there will be an paved the way. Each has experienced extreme
exploding demand for PV electricity in the near rapid growth and has used automation to attack
future. the “Big Three” drivers: improving efficiencies,
lowering costs and maximizing throughput.
Top manufacturing executives in the solar industry
are challenged to find the most effective tools and
processes to gain more productivity and decrease
costs within a set budget. This article addresses
how the use of automation within this new industry
can provide these top executives with the key
components to maximize factory throughput, drive
down costs and improve efficiencies.
Lessons Learned
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