Smart switch network for dynamic power routing in building-mounted photovoltaic systems

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The global market for photovoltaic (PV) technology has been steadily growing at an annual rate of 30-40% over the last several years, and this trend is continuing. The international Energy Agency predicts that PV energy will account for about 5% of world energy consumption in 2030 and 11% in 2050. Building installed PV systems, which is a sector in the overall PV market, is also undergoing high growth and is expected to be a US$ 11 billion market by 2016. Installation of utility-tied PV systems on residential and commercial buildings is undergoing a steady growth in Canada too. A key challenge in such systems is to improve the overall cost-effectiveness of the system by eliminating the post-generation power losses. In addition to the conversion efficiency of the PV panels, how effectively the generated PV power is managed/conditioned also determines the overall system performance. Non-uniform power generation among modules caused by mounting restrictions, different orientation, tilt, shading, debris etc., often result in less than the maximum possible power to be input to the inverter often causing the latter to operate outside the optimal range for best performance. Use of distributed inverters will increase the system cost. It is also important to note that most of these power fluctuation events are unpredictable. Employing intelligent electronic circuitry to dynamically route the power from modules to inverters can solve this problem. AMCorp technologies is seeking a solution through real-time (dynamic) routing of power from individual strings (or even modules) to the inverters. In this Engage project AMCorp and the University of Waterloo will work together, (i) to develop an intelligent network solution that provides dynamic monitoring and routing capabilities to the switching circuitry, (ii) to set up an innovative in-lab test-bed for performance analysis of the router network under forced conditions, and, (iii) to establish the net power gain through evaluation of the PV/router-network system under real solar conditions. The research outcome will provide an efficient, economic, solution to the power-loss problem in building installed PV systems.