Modern manufacturing technology for modular photovoltaic panels: State-of-the-art and future trends

Abstract

Abstract The technological advancement of the recent years has triggered a significant increase in the global energy consumption. Within this frame, the fossil fuels still account for most of the energy consumption as the renewable energy systems often lack reliability and predictability in terms of total energy supply. These shortcomings may be overcome if various design and manufacturing process optimization methods are applied so as to gain more benefits from the current solar power systems. A modern modular photovoltaic (PV) panel is an assembly of photovoltaic cells mounted in an adaptable framework for quick installation. The photo-voltaic cells use sunlight as source of energy and generate current electricity, which can be harvested directly or through an existing grid. A collection of PV modules can be arranged in any desirable manner to form a PV panel. Also, the implementation of such modern modular systems brings numerous advantages, including the reduction of power transmission cost and the minimization of the global warming problems. This work presents the latest findings related to the manufacturing technology and the equipment train used in the production of modern photovoltaic systems.