# US 10,483,764 B2 · Irradiance based solar panel power point tracking > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,764 B2 - Document ID: US10483764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/862,942 - Filed: 2018-01-05 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-06 - Assignees: Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Applicants: Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Inventors: Yousef Mahmoud - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483764B2 ## CPC - H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules - H02J 2101/25: {involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources} - Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A power point tracking apparatus employs irradiance detection for performing Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) of a PV panel. The apparatus controls an operating voltage of a PV panel inverter by regulating the operating voltage of the inverter at a computed optimal voltage based on a detected irradiance of light on the solar panel providing power to the inverter to result in a maximum power generation from the solar panel. The inverter receives the DC (direct current) from the solar panel and generates an AC (alternating current) signal at a fixed voltage (typically 110-120 v) usable by grid based power consumers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of regulating an operating voltage of a solar panel inverter, comprising: receiving camera readings indicative of incident light on a solar panel; computing, based on the received readings, an operating voltage corresponding to a maximum power generation capability of the solar panel; receiving, at an inverter connected to the solar panel, output power from the solar panel; and directing the inverter to regulate an output power based on the received operating voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the camera readings are indicative of irradiated light on a photovoltaic (PV) panel for generating electrical energy from the light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein computing the operating voltage includes determining a global maximum on a power curve defining a power output of the solar panel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein computing the operating voltage includes evaluating a single point on a power curve in an absence of traversal of points representative of a lower magnitude of power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the camera is sensitive to reflected irradiance from the solar panel, the camera having a response function based on a portion of the reflected irradiance directed at the camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the solar panel includes a plurality of cells, and further comprising receiving a camera reading corresponding to each sill. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising: determining a camera response function that defines a relation between the irradiated light reflected in a direction of the camera and an intensity of a corresponding camera image; determining a reflectance of the PV panel indicative of incident irradiance from a light source that is reflected in the direction of the camera; and computing the operating voltage based on the incident irradiance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the camera response function defines a mapping from received radiance from a scene from a camera field of view to a pixel value in a camera image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising identifying a plurality of groups of the cells, each group of cells defined by an electrical separation from the cells of the other groups; for each group, determining a voltage; and computing the operating voltage based on the determined voltage of the group contributing the greatest power. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the electrical separation is defined by a diode for accommodating failure and shading of incident light on the cells in the group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of cells comprises 72 cells. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the groups comprise 3 groups of 24 cells. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising disposing a controller adjacent to each group, and for each controller, computing an operating voltage of the group; and receiving, at the inverter, the computed operating voltage of each group. ### Claim 14 A photovoltaic controller comprising: a solar panel for generating electrical power at an operating voltage based on available ambient light; a camera disposed for receiving camera readings indicative of incident light on a solar panel; power curve logic for computing, based on the received readings, an operating voltage corresponding to a maximum power generation capability of the solar panel; an inverter connected to the solar panel for receiving output power from the solar panel; and an interface between the power curve logic and the inverter operable for directing the inverter to regulate an output power based on the received operating voltage. ### Claim 15 A computer program product on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of regulating an operating voltage of a solar panel inverter, the method comprising: receiving camera readings indicative of incident light on a solar panel; computing, based on the received readings, an operating voltage corresponding to a maximum power generation capability of the solar panel; receiving, at an inverter connected to the solar panel, output power from the solar panel; and directing the inverter to regulate an output power based on the received operating voltage.