Ecoprogetti recovered Ener-G-Africa’s module assembly line after the facility failed its initial site acceptance and turnkey-line criteria
The recovery covered technical assessment, process integration, equipment additions, production ramp-up, and support for IEC certification and factory inspection
Ecoprogetti added ECOBUSSING, ECOLAB, and ECOSUN NOVA equipment for module interconnection, EL inspection, and IV characterization
Ecoprogetti, a PV module turnkey solution and individual equipment provider, recently rescued a PV assembly line at Ener-G-Africa (EGA) in South Africa. The rescue involved fully recovering and relaunching the production process.
EGA, which offers sustainable energy solutions and products for Africa, commissioned the PV module manufacturing plant in 2022. At the time, the company procured the production equipment from multiple equipment providers. With limited integration, process coordination and production yield were not up to the mark. Ecoprogetti says that, at the time of its involvement, the facility failed the site acceptance test (SAT) and did not meet the criteria for a turnkey line.
To restore the factory to expected process efficiency, production output, and a reliable final product, Ecoprogetti developed a multi-phase strategy to address the issues. These phases covered a full technical assessment of the plant, identifying critical issues or gaps in the production process, and implementing additional equipment in the flow where necessary to ensure integration and quality control. Additionally, the recovery process included ramping up the production line with a focus on process and performance stability, providing on-site services during installation and restart, and supporting IEC certification and factory inspection.
As part of the integration, Ecoprogetti supplied its ECOBUSSING, ECOLAB, and ECOSUN NOVA tools to the revamped EGA line. The first is auto-bussing equipment that forms the final circuitry of the PV module. The latter two are characterization tools, of which ECOLAB is an electroluminescence (EL) imaging system. It is used to inspect the cell strings, laid-out strings before lamination, and post-lamination as required. ECOSUN NOVA is a sun simulator using LED technology for IV characterization of final modules.
Ecoprogetti says the EGA assembly line is now fully transformed with continuous operation, stable production, and improved production yield.
Laura Sartore, CEO of Ecoprogetti, said, “A project rescue is not simply about fixing a problem. It means stepping into a critical situation, restoring control and performance, and delivering tangible value back to the client and investors.”
