0000000000015480

AUTHOR

Lars Norum

Modeling and parameter identification of crystalline silicon photovoltaic devices

This paper tests the standard single-exponential model of the electrical characteristics of crystalline-Si photovoltaic devices, focusing on the (apparent) shunt current. Measured characteristics of illuminated polycrystalline-Si photovoltaic modules are modeled, and the apparent shunt current is analyzed. It is shown that an Ohmic-like behavior only takes place at voltages well below the maximum-power point. At higher voltages, the apparent shunt current quickly drops to negligible values. Modeling a crystalline-Si PV device with a fixed shunt resistance may therefore lead to underestimation of the maximum power exceeding 10% at certain irradiance levels.

research product

Power loss analysis for single phase grid-connected PV inverters

This paper presents a method for power loss analysis applied on single-phase grid-connected PV inverter. The often neglected current ripple effects are included in power device switching and conduction losses. The relationships amongst component losses, output inductance, switching frequency and dc-link voltage are investigated. It is shown that current ripple effect is important to power loss analysis due to varying irradiation. The closed form solutions of component losses are proposed and verified with SPICE simulation results.

research product

Overirradiance (Cloud Enhancement) Events at High Latitudes

Contrary to intuition, solar irradiance peaks at partially cloudy conditions. Clouds can boost sunlight by over 1.5 times, even at high latitudes. Depending on cloud velocity, the bursts last from seconds to minutes. Measuring irradiance on a tilted surface with 10-ms resolution allows for a detailed study of such events in Southern Norway, almost at sea level. All monthly maxima from April through September 2011 exceeded 1300 W/m2. The slow sensor registered an annual maximum of 1413 W/m2, while the fast sensor's range was found insufficient. A burst reaching 1528 W/m2 was registered in June 2012. Near the Equator, bursts exceeding 1800 W/m2 have been observed. These numbers are striking s…

research product

Power management of grid-connected photovoltaic inverter with storage battery

With increased penetration of PV generation in the power grid, it becomes necessary to control the PV generation similar to the conventional power sources. Grid-connected PV systems equipped with storage batteries are capable of active power control. PV power generation can be either fed into the grid or stored in the battery. This paper presents a deterministic power management algorithm that uses closed-form approximations derived from analytical loss models. It can be configured to maximize the efficiency or the revenue in a liberalized electricity market. The battery controller emulates an optimum load-line in which the PV power is autonomously shared between the battery and the feed-in…

research product