# US 2022/0286084 A1 · Photovoltaic system, device and method for monitoring thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0286084 A1 - Document ID: US20220286084A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/529,054 - Filed: 2021-11-17 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-18 - Assignees: Hanwha Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Hanwha Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Ju Wan KANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220286084A1 ## CPC - H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification - H02S 50/10: Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 13/1311: {using the power network as support for the transmission} - H02S 40/34: comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes - H02J 2101/22: Solar energy - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] 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) - 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 photovoltaic system includes: a plurality of solar cell modules each including a plurality of solar cells, at least one monitoring device configured to measure a module voltage of a corresponding solar cell module from among the plurality of solar cell modules, and a current measuring device that receives the measured module voltage from the at least one monitoring device and is connected to the plurality of solar cell modules through a power line to measure a module current of the plurality of solar cell modules. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic system comprising: a plurality of solar cell modules each including a plurality of solar cells; at least one monitoring device configured to measure a module voltage of a corresponding solar cell module from among the plurality of solar cell modules; and a current measuring device that receives the measured module voltage from the at least one monitoring device and is connected to the plurality of solar cell modules through a power line to measure a module current of the plurality of solar cell modules. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cell modules are divided into at least one module string, solar cell modules included in the same module string are connected in series to the current measuring device, and the current measuring device measures the module current by measuring a current of the at least one module string. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photovoltaic system of claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring device comprises: a voltage measuring device configured to measure the module voltage of the corresponding solar cell module; and a power line communication interface configured to transmit module data including the measured module voltage to the current measuring device or another monitoring device through a power line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photovoltaic system of claim 3, wherein the current measuring device comprises: a communication device that receives, from the at least one module string, module string data including at least one module data and power, and separates the received module string data and the power; and a current measuring device configured to measure a current of a corresponding module string based on the separated power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The photovoltaic system of claim 3, wherein the current measuring device transmits a signal to the at least one module string, the at least one monitoring device, in response to the signal, transmits the module data to the current measuring device or another monitoring device, and the current measuring device receives, from the at least one module string, module string data including at least one module data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The photovoltaic system of claim 5, wherein the at least one module string includes a plurality of module strings, the current measuring device transmits a signal to each of the plurality of module strings simultaneously, and at least some of reception times of respective pieces of module string data of the plurality of module strings overlap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The photovoltaic system of claim 5, wherein the at least one module string includes a plurality of module strings, and the current measuring device receives respective pieces of module string data of the plurality of module strings at different times. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic system of claim 1, wherein the at least one monitoring device is included in a junction box of a corresponding solar cell module. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cell modules comprises: at least one DC/DC converter included in a junction box and connected to the plurality of solar cells in a cell string unit, wherein the cell string includes at least some of solar cells continuously connected to each other from among the plurality of solar cells. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The photovoltaic system of claim 9, wherein the at least one monitoring device comprises the at least one DC/DC converter, and the at least one DC/DC converter comprises a power line communication interface configured to transmit converter data including a converted voltage to the current measuring device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar cell modules are divided into at least one module string, and the photovoltaic system further comprising: at least one string gateway connected to the at least one module string; and a main gateway connected to the at least one string gateway, wherein the current measuring device measures a current of the at least one module string based on power received from the at least one string gateway, and the module current of the plurality of solar cell modules is a current measured for a corresponding module string. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The photovoltaic system of claim 11, wherein the at least one string gateway includes a plurality of string gateways, the plurality of string gateways are connected to each other in a cascade structure, the main gateway is connected to any one of the plurality of string gateways to receive module string data of each of the plurality of module strings, and the module string data includes a module voltage of at least one solar cell module included in a corresponding module. ### Claim 13 A method of monitoring a photovoltaic system, the method comprising: measuring a module voltage of a plurality of solar cell modules; transmitting power generated from the plurality of solar cell modules and module data including the measured module voltage to a current measuring device; and measuring, by the current measuring device, a module current of the plurality of solar cell modules based on the received power. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring of the module voltage comprises: measuring, by a monitoring device corresponding to the plurality of solar cell modules, the module voltage using a voltage measuring device, and wherein the transmitting comprises: transmitting, by the monitoring device, the module data including the measured module voltage to the current measuring device through power line communication. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of solar cell modules are divided into at least one module string, at least one solar cell module included in each of the at least one module string is connected in series to the current measuring device, and wherein the measuring of the module current comprises: measuring, by the current measuring device, the module current of the plurality of solar cell modules by measuring a current of the at least one module string. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the measuring of the module current comprises: receiving module string data including at least one module data and power from the at least one module string through the power line; separating the power and the module string data received through the power line; and measuring a current of a corresponding module string based on the separated power. ### Claim 17 A monitoring device for a photovoltaic system, the monitoring device comprising: a voltage measuring device connected to both ends of a plurality of solar cells included in a solar cell module to measure a module voltage of the solar cell module; and a communication interface configured to transmit module data including the measured module voltage to a current measuring device connected to the solar cell module. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the communication interface comprises: a power line communication interface connected to a power line between the solar cell module and the current measuring device, and transmitting the module data to the current measuring device or another monitoring device through power line communication. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the monitoring device is included in a junction box of the solar cell module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the communication interface is configured to: receive a signal transmitted from the current measuring device, and transmit the module data to the current measuring device or another monitoring device in response to the received signal.