A basic introduction to solar cell operation is provided leading to a study of the types of industrial processes used in large scale manufacturing. Dominant commercial cell technologies are covered in detail including evaluation of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. A "virtual" production line is used to give students direct control of and exposure to the manufacturing environment and techniques for optimizing performance of mass produced devices. Production issues such as yields and in-line quality control are considered. Assignment work includes having students take control of the virtual production line for the purposes of performance optimization, fault diagnosis and maximizing of yields.