Method and system to provide a distributed local energy production system with high-voltage DC bus

• US 8,751,053 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: Hadar, Ron, Davis, Stuart D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US11/875,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,426 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 323/268, 307/80, 702/65
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A method and system to provide a distributed local energy production system with high-voltage DC bus is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system comprises a management unit to be interconnected via a network bus to a set of link modules, each link module coupled to a separate local energy production unit, each link module to include a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter and a parameter monitoring unit to produce parameter data for the respective local energy production unit, and the local energy production units to be coupled to a high voltage power line to deliver produced electrical energy to a consumer of the energy; and the management unit to receive measured parameters from the link modules, and to send control signals to link modules to provide individual operational control of the local energy production units, the management unit to be coupled to one or more separate computers to provide the computers with access to the parameter data and control of the local energy production units.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a direct current (DC), high voltage power line configured to operate at a voltage to deliver electrical energy to a consumer of the energy;

a plurality of photovoltaic panels, each respective photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels having a respective link module coupled between the DC, high voltage power line and the respective photovoltaic panel, the respective link module configured to provide electricity produced by the respective photovoltaic panel solely to the DC, high voltage power line, the respective link module including

a transceiver configured in a slave mode of operation to transmit data using the DC, high voltage power line, after receiving a command,

a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to convert a voltage produced by the respective photovoltaic panel to the voltage of the DC, high voltage power line, and

a parameter monitoring unit to produce parameter data for the respective photovoltaic panel;

an inverter configured to transfer electricity from the direct current (DC), high voltage power line to a utility grid; and

a management unit coupled to the direct current, high voltage power line to transmit the command to the transceiver of the respective link module and coupled to a local area network to communicate with internet, the management unit to receive the parameter data from the transceiver of the respective link module, and to send control signals to the transceiver of the respective link module to provide individual operational control of the respective photovoltaic panel, wherein the management unit including a web server configured to show photovoltaic panel data, panel performance, panel failure, system efficiency, and power generation information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a network bus and the high voltage power line are joined on a common wire providing a network high voltage bus.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer of energy is a grid tied inverter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the consumer of energy is one or more of a battery storage unit, a grid tied inverter, a stand alone inverter, a hybrid with automatic transfer switch inverter, a charge controller, a plug-in hybrid automobile, an electric car, and a second network high voltage bus.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the (MPPT) MPPT step-up converter is to decouple a performance of the respective local energy production unit photovoltaic panel from separate local energy production units photovoltaic panels coupled to the network high voltage bus.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the parameter data from the local energy production units photovoltaic panels comprises one or more of current, voltage, temperature, and panel identification code.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the management unit is to transmit power-on and power-off signals to the link modules via the network high voltage bus to power-on and power-off individual local energy production units the photovoltaic panels.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the photovoltaic panels one or more of the local energy production units comprise a local power-on and power-off control.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the network high voltage bus comprises a set of conductors to transmit data and control signals, and deliver power.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the management unit is to receive parameter data from one or more consumers of energy.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the management unit is to control delivery of electrical energy to one or more consumers of energy based on parameter data received from one or more consumers of energy.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a management unit, parameter data from a plurality of link modules coupled between a direct current (DC), high voltage power line and a plurality of local energy production units respectively, the direct current (DC), high voltage power line having a voltage to deliver electrical energy a consumer of the energy, each respective photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels having a respective link module, the respective link module configured to provide electricity produced by the respective photovoltaic panel solely to the DC, high voltage power line, the respective link module including

a transceiver configured in a slave mode of operation to transmit data using the DC, high voltage power line, after receiving a command,

a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to convert a voltage produced by the respective photovoltaic panel to the voltage of the DC, high voltage power line, and

a parameter monitoring unit to produce the parameter data for the respective photovoltaic panel;

sending by the management unit control signals to the link modules, the control signals providing individual operational control of the local energy production units;

communicating by the management unit with one or more separate computers to provide the computers with access to the parameter data and control of the local energy production units; and

providing, by the management unit coupled to the direct current, high voltage power line to transmit the command to the transceiver of the respective link module and coupled to a local area network to communicate with internet, a web server configured to show photovoltaic panel data, panel performance, panel failure, system efficiency, and power generation information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the parameter data and sending the control signals on a network bus;

and the network bus and the high voltage power line are joined on a common wire providing a network high voltage bus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the consumer of energy is one of:

a grid tied inverter, a battery storage unit, a non grid non-grid tied inverter, a charge controller, a plug-in hybrid automobile, an electric car, and a second network high voltage bus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of the local energy production units is at least one of a photovoltaic panel, a wind turbine, fuel cells, and a hydroelectric turbine.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises the (MPPT) MPPT step-up converter decoupling a performance of a first local energy production unit from separate local energy production units coupled to the network high voltage bus.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a management unit, parameter data from a plurality of link modules coupled between a direct current (DC), high voltage power line and a plurality of local energy production units respectively, the direct current (DC), high voltage power line having a voltage to deliver electrical energy a consumer of the energy, each respective photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels having a respective link module, the respective link module configured to provide electricity produced by the respective photovoltaic panel solely to the DC, high voltage power line, the respective link module including

a transceiver configured in a slave mode of operation to transmit data using the DC, high voltage power line, after receiving a command,

a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) step-up converter to convert a voltage produced by the respective photovoltaic panel to the voltage of the DC, high voltage power line, and

a parameter monitoring unit producing the parameter data for the respective photovoltaic panel;

sending by the management unit control signals to the link modules, the control signals providing individual operational control of the local energy production units;

communicating by the management unit with one or more separate computers to provide the computers with access to the parameter data and control of the local energy production units; and

providing, by the management unit coupled to the direct current, high voltage power line to transmit the command to the transceiver of the respective link module and coupled to a local area network to communicate with internet, a web server configured to show photovoltaic panel data, panel performance, panel failure, system efficiency, and power generation information.