EDN’s 20th annual Innovation Awards Finalists
-- EDN, February 18, 2010
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&& PREVIOUS FINALIST | MAIN | NEXT FINALIST >> Category: Power Supplies/Systems Finalist: SolarMagic power optimizer, National Semiconductor  In the traditional PV (photovoltaic) system architecture, panel mismatches from real-world conditions such as debris and shade from trees or structural obstructions negatively affect power output. Traditional PV systems rely on a centralized inverter, and as each string of solar panels is wired in series and connected either directly or in parallel with other series strings to the inverter, the inverter can only “see” this module array as a single electrical equivalent. Consequently, the optimization is done from a central vantage point, and small amounts of mismatch can cause disproportional energy losses—studies show as little as 1.5% shade on the array cause system performance to degrade by 17%. To overcome the panel mismatch problem, National’s researchers and engineers utilized a combination of highly reliable advanced electronics and communications. Using proprietary algorithms, power optimizers extract the maximum energy available by applying a localized MPP (maximum power point) and translate input voltage/current to the best output voltage/current, maximizing energy transport. They are cognitive; by sensing their voltages and currents, they jointly adjust until a string optimum is achieved. In worldwide field trials, SolarMagic recovered approximately 50% of the energy that would otherwise be lost, with a maximum of 71% recovery achieved. Several case studies included with this application further attest to SolarMagic’s ability to boost system performance and reliability. Furthermore, test data shows SolarMagic boasts an expected MTBF (mean time between failure) rate of more than 750 years. |
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