Off-grid

&
Re-synchronizable off-grid
Solar PV Systems

Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
IIT Kanpur.
E-mail: sensarma@iitk.ac.in
Tel: +91 512 259 7076/7822
Fax: +91 512 259 0063
Schedule
Off-grid solar PV systems (OGS)
– Advantages
– Technology challenges (Power Electronics)
– Efforts at IIT-K
Re-synchronizable off-grid systems (ReSOGS)
– Advantages
– Technology challenges (Power Electronics)
– Efforts at IIT-K
Speaker’s thoughts (Conclusion)

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

OGS: Advantages

Suitable for remote areas without grid

connectivity
Areas with unreliable grid power could be
serviced as a power island
Networks marginal economies into
mainstream
Gainful employment for local population
Backbone for PURA
July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur
OGS: Technology Challenges
Operate multiple inverters in parallel
– Share transient loads proportionately
– Share steady-state load proportionately
Maintain voltage waveform quality
(Sine-wave at all costs)
– Emphasized passive filters deteriorate regulation, efficiency;
increase cost
– Light filters cause unacceptable transient performance
Handle overloads sensibly
(Load-shedding is the last resort)
– Strict voltage control
Maximum Power Point Tracking
– Annealed
– Low-cost, embedded
July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur
OGS: Schematic - I

Standalone
Systems

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

OGS: Schematic - II

“Modular”
Solution

Inverters galvanically connected

Individual loading decided by internal parameters

No active mechanism for true paralleling

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

OGS: IIT-K efforts
Voltage waveform
(what could go wrong)

Voltage waveform
(getting it right)

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

OGS: IIT-K efforts
Maximum
Power Point
Tracking
Power • Low power jitter
• Handles partial
shading problems
• Algorithm on Digital
platform (FPGA/DSP)
• Simpler realization
Terminal Voltage
under investigation

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

OGS: IIT-K efforts
Proportionate
Current Sharing

• Equal sharing with

difficult loads
• Transient loads shared
equally
• Enforced through
dedicated feedback
control
• In publication press

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

 ReSOGS: Schematic

Boost
chopper
Central
LC
Control
LC s
Front end Inverter 2 Front end inverter1

Micro
Grid n
Battery
Manager LC
LC
Load
Battery
Emergency Backup
Bank

Utility Grid
July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur
ReSOGS: Advantages
Having the cake & eating it too
– Grid power feeds load when available
– Inverter (renewable) power feeds load when not
Inverter mostly operate SPV at MPPT in grid-
connected mode
– heavy local load: local consumption
– light local load: grid consumption
ReSOGS schemes can be run in OGS & grid-
connected modes
Best fit for areas with unreliable grid
– No re-engineering required as grid strengthens
Ideal for small-home small-office installations
July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur
ReSOGS: Challenges
Anti-islanding (utility loads)
Jitter-free transition between grid-
connected & off-grid modes (local loads)
Re-synchronization
– Synchronizing switch: hardware & co-
ordination
– Synchronizing algorithm: inverter group
behaviour
– System tolerance : Inverter loading, load
behaviour
July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur
ReSOGS: IIT-K efforts

Synchronization algorithms
– Low sensor count
– Fewer auxiliaries
– Repeatable algorithm: deterministic
Synchronization hardware
– Switch selection
– Switch drive reliability

July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur

Speaker’s thoughts
The IIT-K effort (Power Electronics) funded by
NaMPET.
– No corporate contribution.
– Significant corporate benefits
Subsidy-driven models precarious
– Judicious large-scale deployment
– Preferred metric: averaged MWh
Small-domestic, small-commercial promise
– May sustain at market rates
– A simplifies power-purchase regime will help
– Ownership variants: private, service provider
Ancillary services
– Active filtering
– VAR support July 23, 2010 Dr. Parthasarathi Sensarma, IIT Kanpur