Monitoring of Distributed Power Harvesting Systems Using DC Power Sources

• US 20200217877A1
• Filed: 03/19/2020
• Published: 07/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Adest, Meir, Handelsman, Lior, Galin, Yoav, Fishelov, Amir, Sella, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 11,002,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/125 Utility meter reading systems specially adapted for determining the environmental impact of user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/14 Displaying of utility usage with respect to time, e.g. for monitoring evolution of usage or with respect to weather conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/30 Remote utility meter reading systems specially adapted for metering the generated energy or power
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/35 Monitoring the performance of renewable electricity generating systems, e.g. of solar panels
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/34 Smart metering supporting the carbon neutral operation of end-user applications in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• 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 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 : State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A system includes a control circuit and a computer. The control circuit includes a control circuit configured to receive data from at least one solar panel, convert the received data according to a communication protocol, and forward the converted data via the communication protocol. The computer includes software that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to receive, via the communication protocol, the converted data, detect, based on the received converted data, a problem in the at least one solar panel, and output, to a display and based on the detected problem, a status of the at least one solar panel corresponding to a time at which the data was collected.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

software that, when executed, causes the apparatus to;

receive, from a control circuit of at least one solar panel, data that was collected by the at least one solar panel,

detect, based on the received converted data, a problem in the at least one solar panel, and

output, to a display and based on the detected problem, a status of the at least one solar panel corresponding to a time at which the data was collected.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the data wirelessly from the at least one solar panel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the data via a wired communication protocol from the at least one solar panel.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to perform a fault detection analysis.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to compare measured power to expected power determined based on the data.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the data from the at least one solar panel via a communication translator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive an accumulated total value of the data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to reconstruct missing data by extrapolating the missing data based on the data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to generate, based on the data, curves of power production.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to extrapolate the curves of power production for each solar panel of the at least one solar panel.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to compare the extrapolated curves of power production.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the software, when executed, further causes the apparatus to detect a power anomaly based on the extrapolated curves.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises a unique identifier specific to a monitoring module associated with the at least one solar panel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor a current at the at least one solar panel.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor a voltage at the at least one solar panel.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor a temperature of the at least one solar panel.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor solar irradiance data of the at least one solar panel.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor ambient temperature data of the at least one solar panel.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one solar panel comprises a monitoring module configured to monitor ambient spatial orientation data of the at least one solar panel.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, by a central analysis system from a control circuit of at least one solar panel, data that was collected by the at least one solar panel;

detecting a problem in the at least one solar panel based on the data; and

outputting, for display and based on the detected problem, a status of the at least one solar panel corresponding to a time at which the data was collected.