METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
First Claim
1. A method of controlling operation of a photovoltaic power plant, the method comprising:
- generating direct current using a plurality of solar cells;
converting the direct current generated by the solar cells to alternating current using a photovoltaic inverter;
coupling an output of the photovoltaic inverter to a power grid;
detecting that the photovoltaic power plant generates a photovoltaic power plant output that exceeds a maximum allowable output limit of the photovoltaic power plant; and
in response to detecting that the photovoltaic power plant generates a photovoltaic power plant output that exceeds the maximum allowable output limit of the photovoltaic power plant, lowering a setpoint variable limit of the photovoltaic inverter from a first inverter setpoint limit to a second inverter setpoint limit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A photovoltaic power plant includes a photovoltaic inverter that converts direct current generated by solar cells to alternating current. The output of the photovoltaic inverter is provided to a point of interconnection to a power grid. A meter at the point of interconnection may be read to detect the output of the photovoltaic inverter at the power grid. The photovoltaic power plant includes a plant controller with a state machine. The plant controller is configured to adjust setpoints of the photovoltaic inverter to control the output of the photovoltaic power plant. The plant controller is also configured to soft start and soft stop automatic voltage regulation (AVR) of the photovoltaic power plant to prevent perturbing the AVR.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of controlling operation of a photovoltaic power plant, the method comprising:
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generating direct current using a plurality of solar cells; converting the direct current generated by the solar cells to alternating current using a photovoltaic inverter; coupling an output of the photovoltaic inverter to a power grid; detecting that the photovoltaic power plant generates a photovoltaic power plant output that exceeds a maximum allowable output limit of the photovoltaic power plant; and in response to detecting that the photovoltaic power plant generates a photovoltaic power plant output that exceeds the maximum allowable output limit of the photovoltaic power plant, lowering a setpoint variable limit of the photovoltaic inverter from a first inverter setpoint limit to a second inverter setpoint limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A photovoltaic power plant comprising:
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a plurality of solar cells; a photovoltaic inverter configured to convert direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells to alternating current; a meter detecting an output of the photovoltaic inverter at a point of interconnection to a power grid; and a plant controller comprising a state machine, the plant controller being configured to read the meter to detect the output of the photovoltaic power plant at the point of interconnection in a first state of operation and to dynamically adjust a setpoint variable limit of the photovoltaic inverter from a first inverter setpoint limit to a second inverter setpoint limit when the output of the photovoltaic power plant exceeds a maximum allowable output. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. (canceled)
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16. (canceled)
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17. (canceled)
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18. A photovoltaic power plant comprising:
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a plurality of solar cells; a photovoltaic inverter configured to convert direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells to alternating current; a meter configured to detect an output of the photovoltaic inverter at a point of interconnection to a power grid; and a plant controller configured to read the meter to detect a real power output of the photovoltaic power plant at the point of interconnection, to compare the real power output of the photovoltaic power plant to a minimum real power generation level, and to ramp down a reactive power setpoint of the photovoltaic inverter to unity power factor in response to detecting the real power output of the photovoltaic power plant to be below the minimum real power generation level. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification