Energy balance associated with the use of a maximum power tracer in a 100-kW-peak power system
Design of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system which includes batteries for energy storage requires not only sizing the array power output and battery storage capacity to meet the load, but also fixing the number of battery cells placed in series relative to the number of PV cells in series in order to keep the battery voltage in the neighborhood of the array maximum-power-point voltage during operation. When a maximum-power-point tracker (MPPT) is interposed between the array and the battery, the design task is simplified. The decision to use an MPPT depends primarily on the operating efficiency of the device. The recent development at MIT Lincoln Laboratory of low-cost maximum-power-point trackers capable of efficiencies greater than 98% at the 3-kW level broadens the range of applications where an MPPT can be used to advantage. Hourly simulation results for the 100-kW-peak PV stand-alone system under construction at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah are compared for the cases with and without maximum power tracking to quantify the advantage of MPPT implementation.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington (USA). Lincoln Lab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-4094
- OSTI ID:
- 5754878
- Report Number(s):
- COO-4094-72; CONF-800106-16
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 14. photovoltaics specialists conference, San Diego, CA, USA, 7 Jan 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
POWER CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
PERFORMANCE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ENERGY BALANCE
INVERTERS
POWER RANGE 10-100 KW
SWITCHING CIRCUITS
UTAH
VOLTAGE REGULATORS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
NORTH AMERICA
POWER SUPPLIES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SIMULATION
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
USA
140600* - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems