AC interconnection apparatus for supplying AC power from a commercial power system and from a solar cell

• US 6,761,581 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Hiroshi, Takehara, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US10/435,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 307/86, 439/502, 439/638, 439/217, 439/218, 439/582
• US Class Current: 439/502
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• 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: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

An AC interconnection apparatus has an input terminal for a commercial power system, a connection terminal to a solar cell, an output terminal connected to a load, an inverter for converting the output voltage of the solar cell into an AC voltage, and a current detector arranged on the load side of an AC connection point for connecting the AC output from the inverter and the commercial power. When a power value calculated on the basis of a current detection value by the current detector and the voltage of the commercial power system is less than the output power of the inverter, the output of the inverter is suppressed, thereby suppressing reverse power flow to the commercial power system. When the current value detected by the current detector exceeds a predetermined value, power supply to the load is stopped using a breaker.

Claims

1. An AC interconnection apparatus for supplying AC power to a load from a commercial power system and/or an output from a solar cell, comprising:

a plug-shaped connection terminal for the commercial power system;

a receptacle-shaped load connection terminal; and

a solar cell connection terminal having a shape different from said plug-shaped connection terminal for the commercial power system.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solar cell connection terminal has a shape different from said receptacle-shaped load connection terminal.