Systems and methods to balance solar panels in a multi-panel system

• US 8,860,246 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: Hadar, Ron, Arditi, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/567,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 307/19, 307/20, 307 64- 66, 136/243, 136/244, 136/251, 136/206
• US Class Current: 307/19
• 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: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

Systems and methods to balance currents among a plurality of photovoltaic units connected in series. In aspect, a management unit is coupled between a photovoltaic energy production unit and a string of energy production units. The management unit has an energy storage element (e.g., a capacitor) connected to the photovoltaic energy production unit. The management unit further has a switch to selectively couple to the energy storage element and the photovoltaic energy production unit to the string. The management unit allows the current in the string to be larger than the current in the photovoltaic energy production unit.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic energy production system, comprising:

a power bus;

a plurality of photovoltaic energy production units;

a plurality of first management units coupled between the plurality of photovoltaic energy production units and the power bus to supply electricity generated by the photovoltaic energy production units onto the power bus, wherein

the power bus connects outputs of the first management units in series,

each respective management unit of the first management units is connected in parallel to an output of a respective photovoltaic energy production unit of the plurality of photovoltaic energy production units to receive electricity generated by the respective photovoltaic energy production unit and has only one output, the output of the respective management unit providing the electricity generated by the respective photovoltaic energy production unit to the power bus that connects the outputs of the first management units in series, wherein the respective management unit is configured to

determine operating parameters of the respective photovoltaic energy production unit, and

adjust the respective photovoltaic energy production unit to track a maximum power point of the respective photovoltaic energy production unit; and

an inverter coupled to the power bus to receive the electricity generated by the photovoltaic energy production units, the inverter configured to track a maximum power point while receiving the electricity from the power bus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the inverter performs maximum power point tracking on the power bus, while at least one of the first management units adjusts a respective photovoltaic energy production unit to a maximum power point.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second management unit configured to determine at least one control parameter for the first management units, wherein each of the first management units is configured to adjust a respective photovoltaic energy production unit based on the at least one control parameter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second management unit is configured to determine a plurality of values of the at least one control parameter for the plurality of first management units respectively.

5. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a plurality of first management units, operating parameters of a plurality of solar modules, wherein

a power bus connects outputs of the first management units in series,

each respective management unit of the plurality of first management units is connected in parallel to an output of a respective solar module of the plurality of solar modules to receive electricity generated by the respective solar module and has only one output, the output of the respective management unit providing the electricity generated by the respective solar module to the power bus that connects the outputs of the first management units in series, wherein the respective management unit is configured to

determine operating parameters of the respective solar module and,

adjust the respective solar module to track a maximum power point of the respective solar module;

receiving, by the first management units, at least one control parameter to operate at least one of the solar modules at a maximum power point, wherein the at least one control parameter is determined based on the operating parameters of the plurality of solar modules; and

performing, by an inverter connected to the power bus, maximum power point tracking, while the at least one of the solar module is operated by the first management units according to the at least one control parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining the operating parameters of the plurality of solar modules by the plurality of first management units while the inverter is performing maximum power point tracking.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

stopping maximum power point tracking at the inverter while determining the operating parameters of the plurality of solar modules by the plurality of first management units; and

resuming maximum power point tracking at the inverter after determining the operating parameters of the plurality of solar modules by the plurality of first management units.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first management units adjusts at least one of the solar modules according to the at least one control parameter, while the maximum power point tracking is performed by the inverter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one control parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

duty cycle, phase shift, and synchronization pulse.