Modeling and control of an alternating-current photovoltaic module

Energy independence depends greatly on the adoption of renewable energy sources. Yet, electricity, a commodity of everyday life, is currently being generated primarily from fossil fuels in the U.S. Despite the abundance of solar energy, the total electricity from photovoltaic (PV) sources is negligible, mainly because of the relatively high cost of PV systems. For PV electricity to become mainstream, its price has to reach grid parity, which is unachievable unless the overall cost of PV systems is reduced. Alternating-current (ac) PV modules are shown to have the potential to significantly decrease the cost of PV systems. An ac PV module consists of an individual conventional PV module embodying a small inverter, often called a microinverter. AC PV modules provide simpler, faster, and less expensive installation. Unlike typical inverters, microinverters are more reliable and robust and do not have to be replaced once or twice over the lifetime of the system. The flexibility provided by ac PV modules with individual maximum power point tracking (MPPT) may also increase the energy yield. With several microinverters operating simultaneously in a PV system, as opposed to only one or two bigger inverter(s), it is of particular interest to investigate the behavior and dynamics of such a PV system and its compliance with regulatory codes and standards when interconnected with the utility grid. For this purpose, complete detailed ac PV module models, along with different possible control techniques, are developed, analyzed, and tested through simulations. Average-value models (AVMs) for the ac PV modules are shown to drastically reduce simulation times while preserving their performances. The ac PV module AVMs therefore allow for rapid simulations and analyses of several ac PV modules running concurrently under numerous conditions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Esram, Trishan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Chapman, Patrick L.
• Krein, Philip T.
• Newell, Ty A.
• Sauer, Peter W.
• Balog, Robert S.

• Photovoltaic
• Alternating current photovoltaic (AC PV) module
• Microinverter
• Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
• Islanding detection

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 Trishan Esram

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/15501

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/15501