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RFID (Radio Frequency Identication) is an excellent real-time tracing tool that improves

the management o supply chain by enhancing its productivity, accountability and

inventory management not only in shop foor but also in large scale on/o grid power

plants. Highly reliable industrial RFID provides 100% process traceability even through

harsh environment condition. Thus, the unique capabilities o RFID qualied to be an

integral part o the solar module or its long service & support lie cycle.

CoE RFID Lab, IaITo InFoTECh PVT. LTD.

Future ID o PV Solar Panel: Through RFID

The world is more and more con-

cerned with ossil uel exhaustionand environmental problems caused

by conventional power generation, renew-

able resources are becoming a ocal point

o the environmental movement, both po-

litically and economically. In such circum-

stance the photovoltaic (PV) technology is

going to play a key role. India receives so-

lar energy equivalent to over 5000 trillion

kWh/year, which is ar more than the total

energy consumption o the country.

The National Solar Mission (Nov.

2009) guideline by Govt. o India, thedomestic market or PV manuacturing in-

dustry has shown an exponential growth

projection. Even Govt. is trying to regulate

RFID tagging (to store its manuacturing

specication details) or each o its panel

enabling its traceability and identication

as per ISO 9000 clause 7.5.3.

Historically PV manuacturer use the

barcode system. Conceptually, bar cod-

ing and RFID are quite similar; both are

intended to provide rapid and reliable item

identication-and-tracking capabilities butthey are dierent in many ways. Bar code

Vs RFID technologies are NOT mutually

exclusive, nor will one replaces the other.

They are both enabling technologies with

dierent physical attributes.

The superiority o RFID over Barcode

conceive it as a best in-shape technology

to give better tracing tool to improve the

ability o supply chain by enhancing its

productivity, accountability and item level

visibility o PV Panels or long lie.

What is RFID

RFID enables wireless data capture and

transaction processing. RFID is an auto-

matic identication method which relies

on storing and retrieving remote data on/

rom devices called as Transponders or

RFID Tags. Radio Frequency Identication

(RFID) is the technology that has revolu-

tionized the way identication and track-

ing o items is carried out. Data is stored

on a chip called RFID tag which can be at-

tached to the PV cell and module whichcan be read by wireless devices called

RFID readers.

RFID system comprises o three com-

ponents:

RF ID transponder or RF ID tag

RFID Writer/Reader

RFID Handheld

How RFID Technology Works

The antenna emits radio signals to acti-

vate the UHF passive tags (without bat-

tery) and to read and write data to it. The reader emits radio waves, depend-

ing upon its power output and the radio

requency used. When an RFID UHF pas-

sive tag passes through the electromag-

netic zone, it detects the readers activa-

tion signal.

The reader decodes the data encoded in

the tags integrated circuit (silicon chip)

and the data is passed to the host com-

puter or processing.

Figure 1: Typical RFID system components

Dierent RFID Technology Matrix

Currently, there are several technologies/requencies used in RFID as above given in

comparative matrix in table 2.0. Looking

ater the derivative parameters (like pas-

sive, maintenance ree & lowest cost) UHF

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Parameters Bar Code RFID

Line o sight to track PV Solar Panel X

Reading multiple tags X

Cope with dirty & harsh environment X

Extra memory or storing other data or PV Solar Panel X

Read & write capacity X

Possibility o automatic tracking X

Electronics ID X

Cloning / Product Authenticity X

Parameters Bar Code RFID

Commercial Low High

New Technology Challenge Factor Low High

Availability High Low

Technology Provider High Low

DiSADvAntAge Of uSing RfiD OveR BAR cODe

ADvAntAge Of uSing RfiD OveR BAR cODe

tABLe 1.0: RfiD vS. BARcODe cApABiLity MAtRix Sheet

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EPC Gen2 is recommended or use in Solar

Power Plants or tracking and operationmanagement.

RFID technology promises to improve

a broad range o processes in logistics and

WIP in manuacturing o PV industry. RFID

allows better monitoring o the PV manu-

acturing processes with expedient raw

material fow and more eective planning

and control. It helps in monitoring where

and when a part is located throughout its

fow shop in its production process. The

key eatures that separate RFID technology

rom its competing partners such as opticalbarcodes are non-line-o-sight tag reading.

The PV manuacturing industry is very

much automated and it undergoes several

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Technology/Ability

HF Technology(13.56 MHz)

UHF Technology(860-960 MHz)

Active Technology(2.45 GHz/433MHz)

Application

Access Control, Laundry Tagging,

Library Management

SCM, Inventory Management, Health

Care, Aviation, Retail, Transportation Health Care, RTLS

Multiple Tag Read Slow(2-5 tags/Sec) Faster(20 to 100 tags/Sec) Faster(10-20 tags/Sec)

Tag Power Power Less Power Less Battery Power

Standards ISO 15693,14443 A/B EPC C1G1/C1G2/18000-6A,B,C No such standards

Tag Form Factor Small Small Big

Maintenance Not Required Not Required Required

Read Range Very Low(10 Cm) Good Range(2-4M) High Range(20 M)

Units Cost Labels Low( $) Very Low(ew cents) Very High(ew $)

tABLe 2.0: DiffeRent RfiD technOLOgy cOMpARAtive MAtRix tABLe

Tagging Internal Tagging External tagging

Certication o the Module

Since RFID tags consist o a silicon IC and will be

placed inside the module .So by internal taggingcertication is mandatory.

Here RFID tags are placed in back o the panel

rom outside. So tagging usually doesnt need anyrecertication.

Tag Read RangeWill be low Will be higher enough to read the panel mounted at

some height like steel structure, street light.

Tag lie

Good,Usually the tagging will be done during the lamination

process and data eed inside the tag will be ater

module get tested using fasher. So i in dierentprocess (high temperature) get damaged replacing

the tag will be not possible.

Very Good

Tagging get at the place o fasher testing using Sun

simulator. Even i the tag is ound damaged in theprocess it can be replaced easily.

Physical Abuse Not Possible Possible

25 years o Warranty o panelsIn due course o the PV panel warranty, i the tag getdamaged it cant replaced. As whole module need to

get replaced.

In due course o the PV panel warranty, i the tag getdamaged it can easily be replaced with a new one

with dierent unique ID.Maintenance Not Required Not Required

CostHigher than external tag, since the tag has towithstand high temperature.

Lower than internal tag, only UL level o adhesive areused or long lie.

ADvAntAge AnD DiSADvAntAge Of inteRnAL & exteRnAL tAgging

Figure 2: PV Solar Module (Cr-Si) Manuacturing. Process

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processes to get a nished product. RFID

tags will be in the orm o adhesive labels

(liespan o 10,000 times write) which can

be read/write with the RFID reader/writer

station. RFID tags can be embedded in

solar panels during PV manuacturing pro-

cesses in two ways.

Case 1 (embedding the tags inside PV): RFIDtag is embedded in solar panel during the

lamination process. PV characteristics (like

Electrical, mechanical, Environmental, Cer-

tication etc) are written inside the tag a-

ter fasher system.

Case2 (embedding the tags outside PV): RFID

tag is attached to the solar panel externally

ater the fasher process externally.

RFID PV Tracker Tags: RFID PV tracker

tag is specically designed or PV solar

module tracking which contains a unique

identity or each panel. All its perormancedata (electrical parameter, IV curve data,

and its certication, cell and module man-

uacturer along with its date) is stored in

the secure tag memory. It is capable o

withstanding harsh environmental condi-

tions like temperature, humidity, UV ray

& rain etc. It is available in dierent orm

actor which will be suitable or various PV

modules o diverse sizes. It can be tagged

externally (junction box, back plate) ater

quality control.

RFID UHF Hand-Held Reader (PDA

Based terminal is a

rugged dual tech-

nology comes with

embedded RFID

middleware and

windows CE 5.0 or

easy integration. The

RFID_HH_PDA has a

sotware can read all the data in remote site

o the on/o line o PV Power Plans.

Sotware

RFID Tracker Sotware is been designed

and developed with open source rame-

work and architecture. The sotware has

a strong data compression, optimization &

ltration algorithm which extracts all the

relevant data rom a data set o each mod-

ule once it is being fashed inside the sun

simulator. An operator can write all the

data inside the RFID tags secure memory

and can stick the label on the back o PV

panel.

stage 1: The RFID Writer Station will be in-

stalled near Sun Simulator and it will re-

trieve data directly rom the Sun Simulatorand process it or urther writing process

to the RFID PV tags.

stage 2: The retrieved data will be burned

to the RFID PV Tracker tags with specially

designed algorithm which carries all the

Module inormation including IV curve

graph as stated by MNRE guidelines (Sam-

ple tag data has also been attached or

your reerence)stage 3: The RFID PV tags (which will be in

sticker orm) will be ripped o.

stage 4: Then the tags will be stuck on the

backside o the PV Module.

stage 5: Particular Modules as per order

requirement can be tracked through RFID

Hand-Held Readers in warehouse, which

will also be connected with central data-

base.

stage 6: The module will be dispatched to

client location or installation.

Beneft or PV panel

manuacturing using RFID

Item-level visibility across manuactur-

ing and distribution operations can help

to track

Location & quantity o the parts at each

stage and the arising bottlenecks can be

detected &resolved immediately.

Reducing payouts or recalled or re-

turned product.

Reducing lost product and sales rom

shipping errors. Fast identication o the low ecient

panel to be replaced/ relocated.

Better preventive measurement & main-

tenance.

Pilerage o the solar panels can be con-

trolled.

Keeping the PV panel authenticity rom

grey market and increase the country

manuacturing acility.

Conclusion

The above details very much indicate howRFID technology can acilitate the entire PV

solar panel manuacturer and to come out

with completely enabling its traceability

and identication.

Figure 2: PV RFID Tracker Tags.

RFID System architecture & process fow in thesolar PV manuacturing plant.