[Raptor235]

Have you wondered how they make solar panels? This video gives us a rough idea. First, photovoltaic cells made of silicone with conducting grooves across their surfaces get wires carefully soldered on to them. Each cell then gets a bath, cleaned using sound waves in warm water. Then, the cells are soldered together into a strip of nine. Each strip needs to be handled gently— they have a special suction cup device to lift it without causing damage or getting anything dirty. The strips are tested to make sure that the voltage is correct and no soldering needs to be repaired or redone.
You can find the entire article here http://aboutmyplanet.com/alternative...r/solar-panels

[Canadian]

It amazes me how Solar Panels are used for the Space Station yet we under - utilize them here on Earth.

Very interesting article btw.

[Timetrvlr]

In case you missed it, Nanosolar is now producing solar cells this way:

The company produces its PowerSheet solar cells with printing-press-style machines that set down a layer of solar-absorbing nano-ink onto metal sheets as thin as aluminum foil, so the panels can be made for about a tenth of what current panels cost and at a rate of several hundred feet per minute. With backing from Google’s founders and $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Nanosolar’s first commercial cells rolled off the presses this year(2007).

LINK