Ingot & Wafer. A new hot zone design has been developed by NorSun, which targets an increase of productivity by 10%. Kalyon developed recipies for slicing thinner wafers with thinner wires, reducing the wafer thickness by about 10%. CEA Ines are developing a method for squaring at 45 degrees from the normal pattern in order to obtain edge passivation. ISFH and ISC have characterised p-type and n-type wafers from NorSun and Kalyon and obtained very good implied Voc up to 740mV and very good IBC cell efficiencies for a wide range of wafer resistivities. The results indicate that the IBC cell design will allow for increased wafer utilization from presently 70% towards 90%.
IBC Solar Cell. In the reporting period, solar cell efficiency of the polyZEBRA cells was boosted from 23.4% to 24.1%, whereas efficiency of POLO IBC cells has increased from 22.3% to 23.8%. Copprint, together with ISCK, has developed a novel method for a low-temperature Copper paste sintering and introduced several Copper pastes that are suitable for this. HIGH has developed a high throughput dispensing platform suitable for the metallization of IBC cells. A high-throughput sintering tool for Copper pastes in industrial environment was identified and tested by Copprint. The optimization and upscaling of cell cutting and cut-edge repassivation approaches was developed by CEA. An agreement between Kalyon and ISFH was finalized and signed which allows a POLO IBC solar cell technology transfer.
Bifacial IBC Module. Project partners tested different module materials and compared/optimized the available processes related to the studied interconnection methods for future fabrication of IBC modules with maximized full area efficiency, reliability, sustainability, and lowest possible cost. Three module interconnection technologies (conductive backsheet (CBS), tabbing-stringing and 3D woven multi-ribbon interconnection) are being studied as preparation for a joint experiment between the partners. Futurasun designed and assembled the prototype of a specific tabber-stringer based on an innovative manufacturing process and entered the testing phase of the machine, a very remarkable and successful first test result with real cells was achieved. Energyra performed major adjustments to its production line to handle the M6-sized ZEBRA cells. VALOE finished the development of the KELA production equipment design for bifacial CBS module production, and additionally, it is currently working on a new process for low-cost CBS manufacturing.
Industry 4.0 Concepts. Work was focused on using machine learning techniques for improving production yield, predictive maintenance, quality control and traceability of of PV modules. One of the key achievements was the development of predictive maintenance models for PV manufacturing equipment. These predictive models were designed to anticipate potential machine failures by minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. They utilized historical data and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and anomalies that could indicate an impending failure. Another significant accomplishment was the conceptualization and definition of a digital twin for PV modules. This innovative approach involves creating a comprehensive digital replica of each PV module, capturing all relevant details from manufacturing to deployment. This digital twin serves as a valuable tool for traceability, enabling real-time tracking and monitoring of each module throughout its lifecycle.
Sustainability. A new recycling route for the ZEBRA cells was succesfully developed and demonstrated in the laboratory.
