# US 11,309,832 B2 · Distributed power harvesting systems using DC power sources > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,832 B2 - Document ID: US11309832B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/952,037 - Filed: 2018-04-12 - Published: 2018-08-16 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2006-12-06 - Assignees: Solaredge Technologies Ltd. - Applicants: Solaredge Technologies Ltd. - Inventors: Meir Adest; Lior Handelsman; Yoav Galin; Amir Fishelov; Guy Sella; Meir Gazit; Ilan Yoscovich; Yaron Binder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309832B2 ## CPC - H10F 77/955: {for photovoltaic devices} - H02J 1/102: being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 3/388: Arrangements for the handling of islanding, e.g. for disconnection or for avoiding the disconnection of power - H02J 3/46: Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks - H02S 40/30: Electrical components - H02S 40/34: comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes - H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells - H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics - H02J 2101/25: {involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources} - Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A photovoltaic panel with multiple photovoltaic sub-strings including serially-connected photovoltaic cells and having direct current (DC) outputs adapted for interconnection in parallel into a parallel-connected DC power source. A direct current (DC) power converter including input terminals and output terminals is adapted for coupling to the parallel-connected DC power source and for converting an input power received at the input terminals to an output power at the output terminals. The direct current (DC) power converter optionally has a control loop configured to set the input power received at the input terminals according to a previously determined criterion. The control loop may be adapted to receive a feedback signal from the input terminals for maximizing the input power. A bypass diode is typically connected in shunt across the input terminals of the converter. The bypass diode functions by passing current during a failure of any of the sub-strings and/or a partial shading of the sub-strings. The bypass diode may be a single bypass diode connected across the parallel-connected DC power source. The DC power converter may convert the input power at high current to the output power at a lower current. The output terminals may be connectible with wire cables to a load, and the DC power converter is configured to reduce energy loss through the wire cables to the load. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic panel comprising: a plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub-strings, wherein each photovoltaic sub string of the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub-strings comprises serially connected photovoltaic cells; a direct current power converter comprising: input terminals configured to receive input power from the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub-strings; output terminals; a control loop coupled to at least one input terminal of the input terminals; a controller configured to set, using the control loop, a voltage or a current at the at least one input terminal; and a power conversion circuit configured to convert the input power to an output power at the output terminals; and a single bypass diode connected in parallel and in shunt across the input terminals, wherein the single bypass diode is configured to bypass the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub-strings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic panel of claim 1, wherein the direct current power converter comprises one or more of a capacitor, an inductor, and a transistor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic panel of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage or the current at the at least one input terminal according to a previously determined criterion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photovoltaic panel of claim 3, wherein the previously determined criterion is a maximum power point of the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub-strings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic panel of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maximize, using the control loop, the input power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic panel of claim 1, wherein the single bypass diode is configured to bypass a current from flowing through the single bypass diode in response to a failure of any photovoltaic sub string of the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub strings or a shading of any photovoltaic sub string of the plurality of parallel-connected photovoltaic sub strings. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic panel of claim 1, wherein the direct current power converter comprises a buck converter cascaded with a boost converter. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: connecting a plurality of photovoltaic sub strings in parallel across input terminals of a direct current power converter, wherein each photovoltaic sub string of the plurality of photovoltaic sub strings comprises a plurality of serially-connected photovoltaic cells; attaching a single bypass diode in parallel and in shunt across the input terminals; setting, by a controller and a control loop of the direct current power converter, a voltage or a current at the input terminals; and bypassing the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, comprising: converting, with the direct current power converter, input power received from the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel on the input terminals to output power on output terminals of the direct current power converter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the setting the current or the voltage at the input terminals is based on maximizing the input power received on the input terminals from the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel according to a maximum power point tracking algorithm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, comprising: limiting output voltage on the output terminals until a predetermined minimum load is detected on the output terminals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, comprising: connecting the output terminals of the direct current power converter in series with output terminals of one or more other direct current power converters to form a series string. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, comprising: controlling a voltage across the series string to a predetermined value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, comprising: inverting, with an inverter, string power received from the series string to alternating current power. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined value is less than an operational rating of components within an inverter inverting, within the inverter, string power received from the series string to alternating current power. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the bypassing the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel comprises: bypassing, through the single bypass diode, current in response to a failure of any of the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel or a shading of one or more of the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a plurality of photovoltaic panels connected in a series string, each comprising: a plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel, wherein each photovoltaic sub-string comprises a plurality of serially-connected photovoltaic-cells; a single diode connected in parallel and in shunt across the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings connected in parallel and configured to bypass the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings; and a direct current power converter comprising input terminals, output terminals, a control loop, and a controller, wherein: the input terminals are configured to receive input power from the plurality of photovoltaic sub-strings; the direct current power converter is configured to convert the input power to output power at the output terminals; the control loop is coupled to at least one of the input terminals; and the controller is configured to set, using the control loop, a voltage or a current at the input terminals; and an inverter comprising inverter input terminals, wherein the inverter is configured to receive power from the series string at the inverter input terminals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the inverter comprises an inverter control loop, wherein the inverter is configured to control, using the inverter control loop, a voltage on the inverter input terminals to a predetermined value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the inverter comprises an inverter control loop, wherein the inverter is configured to control, using the inverter control loop, a voltage on the inverter input terminals to less than an operational rating of components within the inverter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to set, using the control loop, the voltage or the current at the input terminals according to a maximum power point algorithm.