SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO BALANCE SOLAR PANELS IN A MULTI-PANEL SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A management unit in a photovoltaic energy production system, comprising:
- a circuit to periodically connect and disconnect a solar module to and from a power bus according to a duty cycle, the duty cycle being adjustable to operate the solar module at a maximum power point; and
a controller to receive operating parameters from first management units coupled to the power bus, each of the first management units to determine operating parameters of a respective solar module and transmit the operating parameters of the respective solar module to the controller, the controller to determine duty cycles for the first management units based at least in part on the operating parameters received from the first management units.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods to balance currents among a plurality of photovoltaic units connected in series. In aspect, a management unit is coupled between a photovoltaic energy production unit and a string of energy production units. The management unit has an energy storage element (e.g., a capacitor) connected to the photovoltaic energy production unit. The management unit further has a switch to selectively couple to the energy storage element and the photovoltaic energy production unit to the string. The management unit allows the current in the string to be larger than the current in the photovoltaic energy production unit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A management unit in a photovoltaic energy production system, comprising:
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a circuit to periodically connect and disconnect a solar module to and from a power bus according to a duty cycle, the duty cycle being adjustable to operate the solar module at a maximum power point; and a controller to receive operating parameters from first management units coupled to the power bus, each of the first management units to determine operating parameters of a respective solar module and transmit the operating parameters of the respective solar module to the controller, the controller to determine duty cycles for the first management units based at least in part on the operating parameters received from the first management units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A photovoltaic energy production system, comprising:
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a power bus; a plurality of photovoltaic energy production units; a plurality of first management units coupled between the plurality of photovoltaic energy production units and the power bus to supply electricity generated by the photovoltaic energy production units onto the power bus, the first management units to determine operating parameters of the photovoltaic energy production units, each of the first management units being capable of adjusting a respective photovoltaic energy production unit to a maximum power point of the respective photovoltaic energy production unit; and a second management unit in communication with the first management units to receive the operating parameters of the photovoltaic energy production units, the second management unit to determine at least one parameter for the first management units, the first management units to operate at least one of the photovoltaic energy production units at a maximum power point according to the at least one parameter. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method, comprising:
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receiving, from a plurality of first management units and by a second management unit, operating parameters of a plurality of solar modules, each of the plurality of first management units being coupled with a respective solar module of the plurality of solar modules to determine operating parameters of the respective solar module and coupled between the respective solar module and a power bus to supply electricity generated by the respective solar module onto the power bus; determining, by the second management unit, at least one control parameter based on the operating parameters of the plurality of solar modules; and transmitting, by the second management unit, the at least one control parameter to the first management units to operate at least one of the solar modules at a maximum power point. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification