PV Balancer --Concept, Architectures and Realization

Abstract

This thesis presents a new concept of module-integrated converters called PV balancers for photovoltaic applications. The proposed concept enables independent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for each panel, and dramatically decreases the requirements for power converters. The power rating of a PV balancer is less than 10% of its counterparts, and the manufacturing cost is thus significantly reduced. In this work, two architectures of PV balancers are proposed, analyzed, realized, and verified through simulation and experimental results. In addition, future work which will focus on enlarging PV balancer?s merits and solving its shortcomings is mentioned as well. It is anticipated that the proposed approach will be a low-cost solution for future photovoltaic power systems.