A Hybrid PV-Battery Unit Optimised for LV Grids Using GaN Transistors

根据他们的“走向绿色”部署方案，国家电网预测，未来20年，英国光伏发电（PV）的发电量预计将从2吉瓦增加到15吉瓦。这是由英国在安装可再生能源和减少温室气体排放方面的法律义务、不断上升的能源成本以及对供应安全的担忧（所谓的能源“三难困境”）推动的。电力电子转换器是光伏和一系列其他低碳技术（lct）的关键使能技术。然而，lct的使用给配电网运营商（DNOs）带来了供电电压失真和过电压等问题，这可能会限制或延迟这些技术的采用。该项目的目的是通过利用新型氮化镓（GaN）电源模块的优势来减轻这种威胁，该模块最初将用于住宅应用的混合光伏电池单元，但将在低压并网设备（例如电动汽车，充电和微型热电联产）中有更广泛的应用。预计这些装置的部署将导致网络上最大允许安装容量的增加，并且将比现有的硅基装置更小、更轻、成本更低。

Under their "Gone Green" deployment scenario, National Grid forecast that energy generated from photovoltaics (PV) in the UK is expected to rise from 2 GW to 15 GW over the next 20 years. This is being driven by the UK's legal obligationsaround the installation of renewables and cutting greenhouse gases, the rising cost of energy and concerns around the security of supply - the so-called energy "trilemma". Power Electronic converters are a key enabling technology for PV and a range of other low-carbon technologies (LCTs). However the use of LCTs has resulted in problems for the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) in terms of supply voltage distortion and over-voltages, which threatens to limit or delay the uptake of these technologies. The aim of this project is to mitigate this threat by exploiting the benefits of new GalliumNitride (GaN) power module, which will initially be developed for use in a hybrid PV-battery unit for residential applications, but will have much broader application in LV grid-connected equipment (e.g. electric vehicle, charging & micro-CHP). It is anticipated that the deployment of these units would lead to an increase in the maximum allowable installed capacity on the network and will be much smaller, lighter and have lower cost than existing Silicon based units.