US 2014/0005845 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF GRID CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANT WITH MULTIPLE PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

A system and method of using one or more DC-DC/DC-AC converters and/or alternative devices allows strings of multiple module technologies to coexist within the same PV power plant. A computing (optimization) framework estimates the percentage allocation of PV power plant capacity to selected PV module technologies. The framework and its supporting components considers irradiation, temperature, spectral profiles, cost and other practical constraints to achieve the lowest levelized cost of electricity, maximum output and minimum system cost. The system and method can function using any device enabling distributed maximum power point tracking at the module, string or combiner level.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A photovoltaic (PV) power plant comprising:

a first PV module having a first maximum power point;
a second PV module having a second maximum power point, wherein the first maximum power point is different from the second maximum power point under identical operating conditions;
a first DC-DC/DC-AC converter in electrical communication with the first PV module, wherein the first DC-DC/DC-AC converter comprises a maximum power point tracker or maximum power point controller programmed to track and maximize the first PV module power point;
and
a second DC-DC/DC-AC converter in electrical communication with the second PV module, wherein the second DC-DC/DC-AC converter comprises a maximum power point tracker or maximum power point controller programmed to track and maximize the second PV module power point.

2 more elements

A method of optimizing a photovoltaic (PV) power plant with multiple photovoltaic module technologies, the method comprising:

programming an optimization processor with algorithmic software to generate an estimated system cost and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the PV power plant relative to selected PV technology scenarios subject to desired constraints and requirements, wherein the desired constraints and requirements are selected from area constraints, capacity constraints, budget constraints, yield requirements, power density requirements, toxic/material constraints, voltage requirements, transmission constraints, and system degradation constraints;
and
estimating the LCOE via the optimization processor, wherein the estimated LCOE is represented as
LCOE
s
=
(
FC
W
p
+
∑
t

x
t

IC
t

W
p
)
-
(
∑
n
=
1
N

∑
t

(
x
t

D
t
)
(
1
+
d
cash
)
n

(
r
tax
)
)
+
(
∑
n
=
1
N

∑
t

(
x
t

A


C
t
)
n
(
1
+
d
cash
)
n

(
1
-
r
tax
)
)

(
∑
x
N

RV
N
(
1
+
d
cash
)
N
)
(
∑
n
=
1
N

∑
t

x
t

AEP
s
t

(
1
-
λ
t
)
n
(
1
+
d
real
)
n
)
, wherein s represents a scenario, FCWp represents initial fixed installation system cost for the PV power plant expressed in $/Wp wherein Wp represents required PV power plant size in Watt-peak, xt represents percentage of DC power supplied by module technology t, ICt represents initial variable installation system cost for PV power plant with distributed DC-DC stage architecture and module technology t expressed in $/Wp, N represents lifetime of PV power plant in years, n represent a year, Dt represents depreciation amount for PV power plant with distributed DC-DC stage architecture and module technology t, dcash represents cash discount rate in percentage, rtax represents tax rate in percentage, ACt represents recurring annual cost of PV power plant with distributed DC-DC stage architecture and module technology t expressed in $, RVN represents residual value of PV power plant with distributed DC-Dc stage architecture and module technology t expressed in $, xN represents percentage of DC power supplied by technology t during lifetime of PV power plant in years, AEPst represents performance/yield requirements of the PV power plant with distributed DC-DC stage architecture and module technology t for scenario s, λt represents module degradation rate for technology t, and dreal represents a real discount rate in percentage.

137 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for design and optimization of grid connected photovoltaic power plant with multiple photovoltaic module technologies

Life of this patent

System and method for design and optimization of grid connected photovoltaic power plant with multiple photovoltaic module technologies

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33