Photovoltaic-array/power-conditioner interface

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Abstract
Two years' of effort to improve terrestrial flat-plate photovoltaic (PV) system efficiency through increased understanding of the array/power conditioner interface is reported. The flat-plate PV array is a highly variable source of dc electrical energy due to changing insolation and other factors. Computer simulation based on statistically typical weather data is used to analyze the terrestrial flat-plate PV source and to define the optimal characteristics of its interface with the power-conditioning subsystem. It is found that less than 5% of the annual available energy will be lost by operating most PV systems at a fixed voltage and that even after array degradation, maximum-power-point tracking usually will not present a significantly larger advantage over fixed-voltage operation. Experiments show that open-loop tracking using a new pilot-cell concept is also a viable array-operating strategy. Finally, power conditioner sizing is examined and techniques are developed for estimating the annual operating efficiency and the maximum dc voltage requirement of a power conditioner.

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