Photovoltaic panel circuitry
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A circuit for a photovoltaic panel, the circuit comprising:
- a plurality of input terminals attachable to the photovoltaic panel;
a plurality of output terminals;
a switch operatively connected between one of the input terminals and one of the output terminals; and
an output bypass circuit connected across the plurality of output terminals, wherein the output bypass circuit is operable to bypass current around the switch and around the photovoltaic panel, and wherein the output bypass circuit comprises a charge storage device operable to provide operating power to a bypass controller from the current bypassed around the switch and around the photovoltaic panel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Circuits integrated or integrable with a photovoltaic panel to provide built-in functionality to the photovoltaic panel including safety features such as arc detection and elimination, ground fault detection and elimination, reverse current protection, monitoring of the performance of the photovoltaic panel, transmission of the monitored parameters and theft prevention of the photovoltaic panel. The circuits may avoid power conversion, for instance DC/DC power conversion, may avoid performing maximum power tracking to include a minimum number of components and thereby increase overall reliability.
469 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A circuit for a photovoltaic panel, the circuit comprising:
-
a plurality of input terminals attachable to the photovoltaic panel; a plurality of output terminals; a switch operatively connected between one of the input terminals and one of the output terminals; and an output bypass circuit connected across the plurality of output terminals, wherein the output bypass circuit is operable to bypass current around the switch and around the photovoltaic panel, and wherein the output bypass circuit comprises a charge storage device operable to provide operating power to a bypass controller from the current bypassed around the switch and around the photovoltaic panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method comprising:
-
connecting a photovoltaic panel through a switch to a series string of one or more additional photovoltaic panels; charging a charge storage device with current bypassed around the switch and around the photovoltaic panel from the series string of the one or more additional photovoltaic panels; providing operating power to a first controller from charge stored in the charge storage device, wherein the first controller is adapted to monitor a status of the switch; activating the switch by a second controller thereby disconnecting the photovoltaic panel from the series string of the one or more additional photovoltaic panels upon detecting with the second controller at least one malfunction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification