Renewable energy monitoring system

• US 8,624,443 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enecsys Limited
• Inventors: Mumtaz, Asim
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US13/244,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 307/151
• US Class Current: 307/151
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A solar photovoltaic monitoring system for monitoring and controlling a solar photovoltaic inverter is provided. The system includes a wireless transceiver coupled to a solar photovoltaic inverter that includes a device monitor for monitoring and controlling the inverter. The device monitor generates monitoring data defining a status of the system and transmits the data by using the transceiver coupled to the inverter. The system also includes a wireless repeater for receiving data from the inverter and retransmitting the data and a transceiver coupled to a gateway capable of communicating the received retransmitted data to a monitoring station. The gateway also transmits control data received from the monitoring station. The repeater receives control data from the gateway and retransmits data to the inverter. The inverter receives the retransmitted control data and controls its operation based on the received data.

Claims

1. A solar photovoltaic monitoring system for monitoring and controlling a solar photovoltaic inverter, comprising:

a wireless transceiver coupled to said solar photovoltaic inverter, said solar photovoltaic inverter comprising a device monitor monitoring and controlling said solar photovoltaic inverter, said monitoring comprising generating monitoring data defining a status of said solar photovoltaic monitoring system and transmitting said monitoring data using said wireless transceiver coupled to said solar photovoltaic inverter;

a wireless repeater, said wireless repeater receiving said monitoring data from said solar photovoltaic inverter and retransmitting said monitoring data; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to a gateway, said gateway communicating said retransmitted monitoring data received using said wireless transceiver coupled to said gateway to a monitoring station, said gateway transmitting control data received from said monitoring station using said wireless transceiver coupled to said gateway;

wherein said wireless repeater further receives said control data from said gateway and retransmits said control data to said solar photovoltaic inverter, wherein said wireless repeater comprises a plurality of spaced apart antennas, wherein a first antenna is in a first wireless communication region of said device monitor and a second antenna is in a second wireless communication region of said gateway, wherein the first and second antennas are electrically coupled in the wireless repeater, wherein the first wireless communication region does not overlap the second wireless communication region; and

wherein said controlling in said solar photovoltaic inverter comprises receiving said retransmitted control data from said wireless repeater and controlling said solar photovoltaic inverter dependent on said control data.

2. The solar photovoltaic monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said wireless repeater further comprises:

a wireless transceiver module coupled to said plurality of spaced apart antennas;

at least one antenna interface having one or more of said plurality of spaced apart antennas electrically coupled thereto;

wherein said wireless transceiver module is coupled to said at least one antenna interface, said wireless transceiver module (i) receiving data from at least one of said plurality of spaced apart antennas, (ii) transmitting said received data using one or more other of said plurality of spaced apart antennas, and (iii) processing said data received and transmitted from said one or more of said plurality of spaced apart antennas.

3. The solar photovoltaic monitoring system of claim 2, wherein one of said antennas is adjacent to said wireless transceiver module.

4. The solar photovoltaic monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the wireless repeater comprises only one wireless transceiver module and a passive R.F. splitter coupled between said plurality of antennas and said only one wireless transceiver module.

5. The solar photovoltaic monitoring system of claim 1, wherein regions of transmission and reception associated with each of said plurality of spaced apart antennas are non-overlapping.

6. The solar photovoltaic monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said wireless repeater is the only wireless repeater communicatively linking the device monitor with the gateway.

7. A solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system for monitoring a solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device mounted on or adjacent to a building, comprising:

a device monitor coupled to said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device to monitor said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device and generate monitoring data defining a status of said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device, said device monitor wirelessly communicating said monitoring data to a gateway using a wireless communications link, said gateway receiving said monitoring data from said device monitor and communicating said monitoring data to a monitoring station; and

a wireless repeater providing said wireless communications link between said device monitor and said gateway, wherein said wireless repeater comprises;

a wireless transceiver module;

a plurality of spaced apart antennas coupled to said wireless transceiver module;

at least one antenna interface having one or more of said plurality of spaced apart antennas electrically coupled thereto;

wherein said wireless transceiver module is coupled to said at least one antenna interface, said wireless transceiver module (i) receiving said monitoring data from a first antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas over a first wireless communication region, (ii) transmitting said monitoring data using a second antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas over a second wireless communication region, and (iii) processing said monitoring data received and transmitted from said one or more of said plurality of spaced apart antennas, wherein the first wireless communication region does not overlap the second wireless communication region.

8. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 7, wherein:

said gateway receives control data from said monitoring station and communicates said control data to said device monitor using said wireless communications link;

said wireless transceiver module receives said control data from at least one of said plurality of spaced apart antennas and transmits said control data using one or more other of said plurality of spaced apart antennas; and

said device monitor receives said control data from said gateway and controls said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device dependent on said control data.

9. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 7, wherein said wireless transceiver module is coupled to said at least one antenna interface, said antenna interface being electrically coupled to two or more of said plurality of antennas, said coupling comprising a transmission line splitter, wherein:

said transmission line splitter transmits monitoring data received from at least one of said two or more of said plurality of antennas to said antenna interface, and

said transmission line splitter transmits monitoring data received from said antenna interface to each of said two or more of said plurality of antennas.

10. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 9, wherein

said transmission line splitter transmits control data received from said at least one of said two or more of said plurality of antennas to said antenna interface, and

said transmission line splitter transmits control data received from said antenna interface to each of said two or more of said plurality of antennas.

11. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 9, said transmission line splitter being impedance matched to transmission lines electrically coupling said two or more of said plurality of antennas to said transmission line splitter.

12. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 11, wherein said transmission lines comprise coaxial cable.

13. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 7, said solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system being located on or within a building, said building comprising at least two separate regions separated by a partition, wherein:

the first antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas is located in a first of said at least two separate regions of said building and the second antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas is located in a second of said at least two separate regions of said building; and

said first and second wireless communication regions are limited by said partition.

14. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the first antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas is located proximally to said device monitor and the second antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas is located proximally to said gateway.

15. The solar photovoltaic renewable energy monitoring system of claim 7, wherein said wireless repeater is the only wireless repeater communicatively linking the device monitor with the gateway.

16. A method of monitoring a solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device mounted on or adjacent to a building, the method comprising:

generating monitoring data at a solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device, said monitoring data defining a status of said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device;

wirelessly communicating said monitoring data to a gateway using a wireless communications link, said gateway communicating said monitoring data to a monitoring station;

using a wireless repeater to provide said wireless communications link, the wireless repeater comprising a plurality of spaced apart antennas having associated regions of transmission and reception, and at least one antenna interface having one or more of said plurality of spaced apart antennas electrically coupled thereto; and

using a wireless transceiver module (i) to receive monitoring data from a first antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas over a first wireless communication region, (ii) to process said received monitoring data, and (iii) to transmit said processed and received monitoring data to a second antenna of said plurality of spaced apart antennas over a second wireless communication region, wherein the first wireless communication region does not overlap the second wireless communication region.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said wireless transceiver module is coupled to said at least one antenna interface and the first and second antennas are electrically coupled to said at least one antenna interface using a transmission line splitter, the method further comprising:

receiving monitoring data from the first antenna;

transmitting said received monitoring data to said at least one antenna interface using said transmission line splitter; and

transmitting said monitoring data received from said at least one antenna interface to the second antenna via said transmission line splitter.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving control data from the second antenna at and transmitting said received control data to said at least one antenna interface using said transmission line splitter; and

transmitting said control data received from said at least one antenna interface to the first antenna via said transmission line splitter.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said transmission line splitter is impedance-matched to transmission lines electrically coupling said first and second antennas to said transmission line splitter.

20. The method of claim 16, said solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation device located on or within said building, said building comprising at least two separate regions separated by a partition,

wherein the first antenna is located in a first of said at least two separate regions of said building and the second antenna is located in a second of said at least two separate regions of said building,

wherein said regions of transmission and reception associated with each of said first and second antennas are arranged such that they are substantially non-overlapping, said transmission and reception limited by said partition of the building.