Solar Industry

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels consist of many photovoltaic (PV) cells, typically made from silicon. When sunlight hits these cells, it dislodges electrons from their atoms in a process called the photovoltaic effect. The freed electrons flow in a set direction, creating an electric current. This direct current (DC) electricity is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter, ready to power homes, businesses, or feed back into the grid.

Role of Vacuum Pumps in Solar Panel Production

Crystal Growing and Casting
Vacuum pumps remove air and gases to create controlled environments critical for growing high-purity silicon crystals. Atlas Copco’s dry vacuum pumps offer exceptional corrosion resistance and dust handling, meeting the demands of silicon crystal pulling.

Deposition and Encapsulation
Processes like sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD) rely on vacuum environments to ensure thin-film purity and uniformity. Vacuum encapsulation protects solar cells from oxidation and moisture, enhancing reliability and lifespan.

Fabrication and Lamination
Vacuum pumps handle byproducts during doping and diffusion stages of cell fabrication, improving efficiency. During lamination, vacuuming removes air, eliminates bubbles, and ensures straight, evenly spaced solar cell strings, resulting in superior panel quality.

Atlas Copco Vacuum Pump Solutions for Solar Manufacturing

Atlas Copco’s dry vacuum pumps deliver clean, reliable performance across the entire solar manufacturing process.

• DWS VSD+ Dry Screw Vacuum Pumps: Ideal for solar laminating chambers. Features constant flow sealing, gas ballast control, non-contacting seals, and low maintenance design for maximum uptime and process productivity.
• DZS 100-400 VSD+ A Dry Claw Pumps: Provides optimal vacuum levels (around 200 mbar(a)) required at different production stages. Benefits include low noise, simple maintenance, and reduced operational costs.
• Mechanical Booster Pumps: Designed for seamless system integration. Operating at low pressures, these boosters offer high reliability and durability by avoiding corrosive process media exposure.

All our vacuum solutions can be tailored to meet your specific production needs, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum efficiency.

Benefits of Atlas Copco Vacuum Pumps for the Solar Industry

• Energy Efficiency: Lower energy consumption and operational costs with Variable Speed Drive (VSD) technology.
• Reduced Costs: Higher production efficiency reduces the overall cost of solar panels, making solar power more affordable.
• Sustainability: Reduce waste and emissions during manufacturing, supporting your sustainability targets.

Your Trusted Partner in Renewable Energy Production

Victorian Utility Solutions, in partnership with Atlas Copco, is dedicated to helping you build a greener future. Contact us today to learn more about how our vacuum pump solutions can optimize your solar manufacturing processes.