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TypesofPVSystems

Photovoltaicpowersystemsaregenerallyclassifiedaccordingtotheirfunctionalandoperationalrequirements,their
componentconfigurations,andhowtheequipmentisconnectedtootherpowersourcesandelectricalloads.The
twoprincipalclassificationsaregridconnectedorutilityinteractivesystemsandstandalonesystems.Photovoltaic
systemscanbedesignedtoprovideDCand/orACpowerservice,canoperateinterconnectedwithorindependentof
theutilitygrid,andcanbeconnectedwithotherenergysourcesandenergystoragesystems.
GridconnectedorutilityinteractivePVsystemsaredesignedtooperateinparallelwithandinterconnectedwiththe
electricutilitygrid.TheprimarycomponentingridconnectedPVsystemsistheinverter,orpowerconditioningunit
(PCU).ThePCUconvertstheDCpowerproducedbythePVarrayintoACpowerconsistentwiththevoltageand
powerqualityrequirementsoftheutilitygrid,andautomaticallystopssupplyingpowertothegridwhentheutility
gridisnotenergized.AbidirectionalinterfaceismadebetweenthePVsystemACoutputcircuitsandtheelectric
utilitynetwork,typicallyatanonsitedistributionpanelorserviceentrance.ThisallowstheACpowerproducedby
thePVsystemtoeithersupplyonsiteelectricalloads,ortobackfeedthegridwhenthePVsystemoutputis
greaterthantheonsiteloaddemand.Atnightandduringotherperiodswhentheelectricalloadsaregreaterthan
thePVsystemoutput,thebalanceofpowerrequiredbytheloadsisreceivedfromtheelectricutilityThissafety
featureisrequiredinallgridconnectedPVsystems,andensuresthatthePVsystemwillnotcontinuetooperate
andfeedbackintotheutilitygridwhenthegridisdownforserviceorrepair.

Figure1.Diagramofgridconnectedphotovoltaicsystem.
StandAlonePhotovoltaicSystems
StandalonePVsystemsaredesignedtooperateindependentoftheelectricutilitygrid,andaregenerallydesigned
andsizedtosupplycertainDCand/orACelectricalloads.ThesetypesofsystemsmaybepoweredbyaPVarray
only,ormayusewind,anenginegeneratororutilitypowerasanauxiliarypowersourceinwhatiscalledaPV
hybridsystem.ThesimplesttypeofstandalonePVsystemisadirectcoupledsystem,wheretheDCoutputofaPV
moduleorarrayisdirectlyconnectedtoaDCload(Figure3).Sincethereisnoelectricalenergystorage(batteries)
indirectcoupledsystems,theloadonlyoperatesduringsunlighthours,makingthesedesignssuitableforcommon
applicationssuchasventilationfans,waterpumps,andsmallcirculationpumpsforsolarthermalwaterheating
systems.MatchingtheimpedanceoftheelectricalloadtothemaximumpoweroutputofthePVarrayisacritical
partofdesigningwellperformingdirectcoupledsystem.Forcertainloadssuchaspositivedisplacementwater
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pumps,atypeofelectronicDCDCconverter,calledamaximumpowerpointtracker(MPPT),isusedbetweenthe
arrayandloadtohelpbetterutilizetheavailablearraymaximumpoweroutput.

Figure2.DirectcoupledPVsystem.
InmanystandalonePVsystems,batteriesareusedforenergystorage.Figure3showsadiagramofatypical
standalonePVsystempoweringDCandACloads.Figure4showshowatypicalPVhybridsystemmightbe
configured.

Figure3.DiagramofstandalonePVsystemwithbatterystoragepoweringDCandACloads.

Figure4.Diagramofphotovoltaichybridsystem.

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