Design Procedure and Development of a 100kw Solar Power Inverter for Off-Grid Industrial Use

A solar power inverter, or converter, also known as PV inverter, converts the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current (AC) that can be fed into a commercial electrical grid or used by a local, off-grid electric network. Solar panels generate free power from the sun by converting sunlight to electricity with no moving parts, zero emissions and no maintenance. It is a critical balance of system (BOS)–component in a photovoltaic system, allowing the use of ordinary AC-powered equipment. Solar power inverters have special functions adapted for use with photovoltaic arrays, including maximum power point tracking (MPPT), to get the maximum power from the PV array, and anti-islanding protection. Islanding refers to the condition in which a distributed generator (DG) continuous to power a location even though electrical grid power from the electric utility is no longer present. Electrical inverters are devices which convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) such that it matches the voltage, frequency and phase of the power line it connects to. There are numerous technical requirements to the accuracy of this tracking.