Measuring the Line Productivity by Implementing Lean Production System in One of the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Plants in Malaysia

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLESIII

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSIV

Background of the study1

Problem statement4

Research Aims and Objectives6

Aims6

Objectives6

Scope6

Dissertation layout7

Summary7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW9

Photovoltaic System9

PV History11

Variability of PV Systems11

Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT)12

Solar Inverters (DC-AC Converters)14

Current PV market14

Issues of commercial PV technologies15

PV Power Production Potential16

Types of Grid-Connected PV Systems17

Solar Cell18

History of Solar Cells19

Solar cell device physics19

Lean Definitions21

Lean Production vs. Traditional Production23

Lean Production24

Lean in Quality25

Lean manufacturing as waste reduction26

The Quality and/or Continuous Improvement Tools and Techniques29

Summary31

REFERENCES32

LIST OF TABLES

Figure 1: Solar PV energy, existing world capacity

Figure 2: Typical PV plant power output

Figure 3: Structure of PV system with MPPT

Figure 4: Solar Cell (PV Cell)

Figure 5: Solar spectrums at different air-mass condition

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

OPVS= Organic Photovoltaics

RES=Renewable Energy Systems

PV= Photovoltaic

DC=Direct Current

EROI=Energy return on investment

NOX= Nitrous oxides

SOX= Sulfurous oxides

C02= Carbon dioxide

EMF=Electromotive Force

JIT=Just in Time

WIP=Work in process

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The fastest growing power generation technology is Photovoltaics. There are numerous types of Photovoltaics and these types are differentiated from each other based on material and its manufacturing processes in Malaysia. Among them, imminent form is solar panels as this the combination of bulk crystalline silicon solar cell. Today, the market for solar photovoltaic has been is trending towards thin-film solar panels. Due to the thin-film solar technologies limitations the alternative manufacturing technologies are being used and explored in Malaysia, these technologies are comparably inexpensive, have non-toxic materials in them (Manoochehri, 1984).

According to Hise, (1983) in these technologies, dye-sensitized solar cells and organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are included. These panels are not as high in the solar conversion efficiency and these organic solar panels have the lowest manufacturing complexity. In Malaysian Photovoltaic manufacturing plants the organic material is being and it has numerous colors as well as transparencies which allow solar panels customization on large scale. The low-light generation light, capacity in the organic photovoltaics is high in comparison to other technologies. This allows the solar panels for generating electricity in the cloudy days. In one day by OPVs, the total energy collected is comparable in comparison to other technologies. The everyday increasing demand for energy and the desire to reduce CO2 emissions, along with limited fossil-fuel reserves, requires more research and rapid development in the area of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) such as wind, solar, hydro, ocean, and biomass energy systems. Many countries have developed Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), which are regulation requirements for producing electricity from renewable sources. The European Union's goal is 30% RES penetration by 2020. In the USA, California has the highest percentage of RPS which is 33% by 2020. Renewable energy sources are natural resources of energy such as solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, wave and tidal energy as well as biodegradable waste sources, which are renewable (naturally replenished). Renewable energy sources are comparatively clean, have a lower impact on the environment, and also save the depletion of coal and fossil fuels, ...