Investigation of adaptable inverters for storage and grid connection

Tim Green

This piece of work seeks to address the problem of the abandonment of PV microgrids that sometimes happens when grid connection becomes available. The reasons are a complex mixture of economic and technical issues and we will seek to untangle these and identify where changes in the design of solar PV microgrids could prevent this waste. Factors that will be examined and the use of multi-purpose power electronics, hybrid DC+AC systems, the reparability of microgrid equipment and re-locatable storage. Researchers here will work closely with those studying the needs of rural communities and the economic development pathways that are envisaged in order to better map the technology path that could be devised. Only then will they turn to system design.

Objectives

• Examination of commercial and technical reasons why isolated PV systems become discarded when grid connections become available
• Design guidelines for isolated PV that allows a more assured pathway to evolve to micro-gird and grid connection
• Examination of the role of re-locatable inverters and storage may have in enabling micro-girds as a bridging measure to grid connection
• Examination of role of hybrid AC + DC micro-grids for integration of PV and storage

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