Modular library for the solar industry
As a result of the debate on climate change and the search for alternative energy sources associated with it, the solar industry has gained in importance in recent years. This is apparent in the increased demand for solar systems to generate energy. At the same time the production costs for solar cells will have to decrease in the coming years due to statutory rules.
Owing to this situation the manufacturers face the challenge of producing more efficiently with respect to throughput and costs. However, the costs for solar cell manufacturing plants are very high in terms of acquisition, operation and maintenance with the result that they have to be utilised as much to capacity as possible.
Due to this fact, simulation is increasingly used as a tool for supporting the planning and optimisation of such plants.
SimPlan AG provides a modular library to support modelling the following processes:
- Cell manufacture using wafer technology,
- module manufacture and
- manufacture of thin-film solar cells.
This modular library contains components for mapping all process steps and the connecting conveyor technology between the plants. This includes in particular components for modelling the following sub-processes of cell manufacture using both wafer and thin-film technology:
- Cleaning,
- coating,
- doping,
- structuring,
- contacting and
- passivating.
Components for modelling the entire plant, from glass rinsing to performance measurement, are made available for the manufacture of the modules. Process steps such as laying films or string can be mapped in detail.
All components have defined interfaces to facilitate flexible coupling. Furthermore they can be extended with respect to specific applications. In addition general components for data management, order generating and the evaluation of simulation runs are provided.