Design
Factors considered;
- size
- cost of materials
- appearance
- ability to generate electricity
- amount of time it can last
Materials Extraction
• silicon – harvested by mining
• quartzite gravel/ crushed quartz – harvested by mining
• boron – extracted from borax ore
• titanium dioxide – extracted from crude ore
• silicon rubber or butyryl plastic – can be bought
Materials Extraction –
Environmental Impact
- can cause habitat disturbances when mining, like for
underground creatures
- equipment and transportation require fossil fuels
and it causes air pollution
- silica particles can be released, when inhaled the
victim can get a lung disease, animals can also inhale
it and die
Materials Processing
1. Silicon dioxide of either quartzite gravel or crushed
quartz is placed unto an electric arc.
2. A carbon arc is applied to release oxygen.
- silicon is still not pure enough
Purifying the silicon
- acquired using the “floating zone” technique
- the rod of “impure” silicon is passed through a
heated zone and the impurity is dragged to the end
of the rod
- the end with the impurity is then cut off and then
treated with boron
Materials Processing 2
- titanium dioxide is added to solar disks to make it
anti-reflective
- butryryl plastic or silicon rubber surrounds the solar
modules in a metal frame, either steel or aluminum
- a polyester film makes the backing and a glass or
plastic cover is applied
- silicon is used like cement to put it all together
Result
Manufacturing
1. A soldering flux is applied to each module.
2. The modules are cleaned by ultrasound with water a 60˚C.
3. The modules are connected into series by soldering. Ex: 4
rows of 9 modules.
4. A metallic strip is applied to link the groups, and then the
soldering flux is soldered to the metallic strip.
5. A transparent sheet of layered glass is applied to serve as a
rigid form to support the modules.
6. To protect the modules, a sealing strip is applied.
7. The whole thing is placed into a heated oven, where air is
vacuumed out, to laminate and stiffen everything.
Everything is bonded together.
Manufacturing 2
8. Most manufacturers test the solar panel by using a
powerful lamp.
9. The silicon solar panel is then put on a plastic frame, after
passing the test.
Total Time = 1 hour
Manufacturing –
Diagram
Manufacturing – Environmental Impact
- manufacturing produces solid waste
- fluorine and chlorine may be emitted to the air in the
of dust particles
- 40-45 grams of greenhouse gases are emitted every
kilowatt hour
- produces toxic byproducts and they were once
dumped into nearby bodies of water
- production requires massive amounts of electricity
Packaging & Distribution
- sold with other things to install the solar panels
- sold in boxes with Styrofoam for protection
- some solar panels are sold in second-hand stores
- solar panels can be bought on the Internet
- some companies like Home Depot and Lowe’s sell
solar panels
Packaging & Distribution –
Environmental Impact
- Styrofoam is something that has a negative effect on
the environment
- boxes for the solar panels are slim, they are usually
not reused
- transportation need fossil fuels to occur, causing air
pollution
Use
- used to generate electricity to power home and
appliances
- solar panels are securely added on roofs and are
positioned facing the sun for better results
- they are just left there since nothing needs to be
done – self-working
- length of usage varies, but most can last about 25
years or more
Use 2
How it works
1. Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to absorb the
sun’s energy. The energy is converted to direct
current (DC) electricity .
2. DC electricity is converted into alternate current
(AC) electricity. AC electricity is the electricity used
to power homes and appliances.
3. A meter is installed to see how much electricity the
building is using.
4. Excess electricity gathered from the solar panel is
sent to the nearby utility grid. The excess electricity
is used to power other facilities.
Use - Diagram
www.quickbeam energy.com
Use – Environmental Impact
- solar panels don’t emit carbon dioxide , greenhouse
gases or any harmful things
- solar panels don’t need to be powered to work
- generates renewable energy
- nothing needs to be cleared, Example: No trees are
cleared for space.
End of Life
- solar panels are reused , recycled or disposed when the
original buyer gets a new one or when it’s not needed
- sometimes old solar panels are sold to second-hand stores
-
- solar panels are disposed of at special drop—off places, can’t
leave on the front lawn
- damaged solar panels are either repaired or disposed
- re-usable materials from recycled/disposed solar panels and
reused in the making of new ones
End of Life – Environmental Impact
- 1/3 of the energy of the production of a solar panel
is needed to make a solar panel from recycled ones.
- generated waste from solar panels is small
- solar panels can be considered hazardous waste due
lead content
- doesn’t pollute air when disposed
- generally safe for landfills
- some modules can be hazardous waste
Bibliography
• Advameg Inc. Madehow.com
2007
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Solar-Cell.html
• GoodCompany, Life-Cycle Environmental Performance of Silicon Solar Panels
Made in August 2008
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/docs/solar_panel_lifecycle.pdf
• Quick Beam Energy, Solar Energy
http://www.quickbeamenergy.com/index.php?page=how_solar_works
• World Book Encyclopedia, 2003 Edition, Chicago
Volume 17, World Book Inc. ©1987 - 2003
• Yahoo! Answers
Copyright 2009
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkJ1_d_HMrJw.txgdHCo7I8jzKIX;_ylv=3?q...
…Id=20081125200111AAMyvsK
• Youtube, How It’s Made – Solar Panels
Discovery Channel, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&v=qYeynLy6pj8