Described herein is a low-voltage unidirectional bypass element connected across a solar cell and operable to allow current to flow when the operation of the solar cell is suspended. The computer system uses the position tracking system to generate a series of position measurements of the packages as they move through the slice measurement system and uses the slice measurement system to generate a cross sectional slice of the packages at each measured positioned. During the discharge the distance travelled by the web is determined and compared to the memory, and when there is a predetermined length of web to the terminal end point remaining on the reel that is becoming empty, a splicing command is given, whereafter the leading end of the paper web of a new full reel is spliced to the paper web being discharged.