Renewable Energy

Implementations
Introduction
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from
natural resources that can be replenished through a
short amount of time.
Without strides in renewable energy, the future of
electrical energy generation may not be very bright.
There are several systems utilizing renewable energy
for electrical energy generation.
These systems will be analyzed.
Renewable Energy Systems
Renewable Energy systems refer to systems that use
natural resources that will renew themselves in a
human timeline, as opposed to resources that will
deplete over time.
A few of these systems include Hydro-Electric systems,
Wind Turbine systems, Photovoltaic systems (solar).
These systems provide environmentally clean energy
and give the ability for consumers to generate power
off of the grid.
Wind Turbines
Wind based power generation is at an all-time high. With an
approximate global cumulative generation of nearly 200 GW.
These systems are utilized by many companies in the United
States, as well as many companies in other countries.
Siemens is the largest single global percentage holder of the
total global market, as of 2014.
Switching devices are necessary in order for wind turbines to
operate.
Wind Turbines
The popular choices for switching methods are IGBT
modules, IGBT and IGCT packs.
IGCT press packs allow Medium Voltage converters to
be utilized.
IGCTs are more commonly used in higher end drives
with high power requirements.
Press packs increase the reliability of wind turbine
systems, causing higher power density.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines use AC-DC converters and DC-AC
converters. They also require filtering circuitry.
Most wind turbines comprise of a rotor, gear,
asynchronous/synchronous generator, AC-DC
converter, DC-AC converter, filtering circuits, and
transformers.
The converter must be able to control the reactive
power, have a fixed voltage, and low total harmonic
distortion.
Wind Turbines
The various electronics in wind turbine systems
include silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) based starters,
and switching circuitry for the control of rotor
resistance.
The utilization of wind turbine based energy has a
large impact on the energy industry.
The gradual loss of dependence on fossil fuels can
eventually lead to more reasonable energy costs, and
effective action towards environmental concerns.
Photovoltaic Systems
Photovoltaic systems are systems that are designed to
convert solar energy in to electrical energy that is
suitable for consumer use.
Currently it may not be feasible for a photovoltaic system
that can be turned into a method of living off of the grid.
The cost of utilizing and maintaining a photovoltaic
system is decreasing.
It may be possible in the future for individual PV systems
to pair with the grid.
Photovoltaic Systems//
Power electronics are a major part of photovoltaic systems.
Most photovoltaics use an inverter (DC-AC converter).
The inverter will behave accordingly to provide connection
between the grid and the photovoltaic modules.
An inverter must operate with a sufficient efficiency. This
means that the inverter should have as few power losses as
possible.
One must determine the rating, whether it operates in the kW
range or the MW range and whether or not it will work in the
specified power rating.
Photovoltaic Systems
Another factor includes the fault ride through (FRT), or
the ability to stay connected during voltage dips, the
inverter should shut down in the case of a grid fault.
Though the factors mentioned should always be
considered, there is even more consideration when
considering an inverter simply due to the different types
of configurations that can be achieved to meet needs.
These inverters can be gathered into three groups,
micro-inverters, central inverters, and string inverters.
Photovoltaic Systems
The string inverter is the standard inverter type when
inverters for photovoltaic systems are mentioned.
Micro-inverters are an alternative that provides several
advantages to the more standard string inverter
configuration.
A significant advantage is that the DC to AC conversion
occurs per module.
A downfall when considering micro-inverters, is that in the
event of an inverter failing, one must also replace the PV
module associated with the specific inverter.
Photovoltaic Systems
Another alternative type inverter configuration is the use of
central inverters.
An equivalent design used to obtain similar results is to place
several string inverters in parallel.
These inverters are rated for high power output ranging from
11kW to the MW range.
Similar to micro-inverters, central inverters often have data
monitoring systems implemented to maintain the overall
system.
This type of inverter is mainly used in professional PV designs
Photovoltaic Systems
Other components that are in photovoltaic systems
that have not been mentioned thus far are, battery
electronics, AC modules, and DC optimizers.
If a photovoltaic system contains a battery, a charge
controllers is a necessity for operation.
The charge controller is located between the PV array
and the battery system in order to regulate the
charge on the battery.
There are mainly two technologies that are widely
used in charge controllers. One being pulse width
modulation (PWM), and maximum power point
Ethical Implications
The annual global investment in 2011 for renewable
energy was 279 billion USD.
Experts say that there are enough known fossil fuel
reserves to last another 53 years approximately.
Ethical implications are derived from the inherent
need for energy to be a constant that will not degrade
over time.
There are ethical implications as to how we obtain
energy, and how it affects our environment.
Conclusion
There are many technologies that are being implemented today that
are creating a place in industry that will affect the way that we view
our energy sources, and the way we view earth.
Through the use of power electronics, these technologies exist as
they do today.
The effect of using power electronics in order to obtain more efficient
energy systems has impacted the global energy industry profoundly.
After addressing the different forms of energy that can be
implemented, one can hopefully understand the implications
applications and reasons to implement power electronics in the
renewable energy industry.