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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Evaluation of power conditioning for photovoltaic applications

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5540526
The most complex and most vulnerable component in a photovoltaic system is the power conditioner (PCS). To improve performance and reliability of photovoltaic PCS hardware, an engineering evaluation program was established (1). The primary focus is to characterize performance, to identify potential operating problems, and to work with the manufacturer in correcting these problems. A unique test facility has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories. This facility provides controllable interfaces, specialized instrumentation, and appropriate procedures to provide detailed and consistent evaluation data available PCS hardware. Over the past 9 months several single-phase PV PCSs were evaluated. The major emphasis is evaluation over a wide range of operating conditions and extremes that cannot be accomplished either at the factory or in the field. The contributions of this work to development of photovoltaic systems are accelerated identification PCS design problems and solutions, established performance criteria and test procedures, and reported characteristics of state-of-the-art PCS hardware. Test procedures developed for this activity will be made available to both industry and standards organizations. The facilities and required procedures for evaluation of single-phase PCS hardware up to 10 kW are presented here. They are currently being used for basis residential size (up to 10 kW) evaluations. In the future PCS evaluation including a small signal loop gain and phase analysis is planned. Three-phase intermediate size PCS analysis up to 50 kW and reduced scale central station up to 50 kW concept testing is also planned.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5540526
Report Number(s):
SAND-83-2228C; CONF-831028-3; ON: DE84001537
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English