Solar power system requiring no active control device

A method of increasing the useful power in a solar power system comprising the following steps:

• passing a portion of the current from a photovoltaic array having a locus of peak power points for various insolation levels of solar radiation through a voltage-dependent variable resistance load having a voltage-current characteristic in which the operating conditions of said voltage-dependent variable resistance load result in less power consumption than that which is available from said photovoltaic array at the peak power point of said photovoltaic array;
• and
• passing the remaining portion of the array current through a demand-dependent variable resistance load, said demand-dependent variable resistance load changing the load on said photovoltaic array to enable said photovoltaic array to operate within approximately 5 percent of said peak power points over a range of demand-dependent variable resistance load power demands,
• whereby about 95 percent and more of the maximum power which said photovoltaic array produces is transferred for useful purposes.

A solar power system comprising:

• a photovoltaic array;
• a water electrolysis unit which provides a voltage-dependent variable resistance load and produces hydrogen and oxygen electrically connected to said photovoltaic array;
• a demand-dependent variable resistance load electrically connected in parallel with said electrolysis unit;
• and a hydrogen storage chamber for storing hydrogen produced in said electrolysis unit.

A solar power system comprising:

• a photovoltaic array;
• a voltage-dependent variable resistance load electrically connected to said photovoltaic array;
• a demand-dependent variable resistance load electrically connected in parallel with said voltage-dependent load;
• a fuel cell system electrically connected in parallel with said photovoltaic array;
• means for preventing current from flowing from said fuel cell system into said voltage-dependent variable resistance load or said photovoltaic array when the voltage of said fuel cell system is greater than or equal to the voltage of said photovoltaic array;
• and
• second current preventing means for preventing current from flowing from said photovoltaic array into said fuel cell system.

A method of increasing the useful power in a solar power system comprising the following steps:

• passing a portion of the current from a photovoltaic array having a locus of peak power points for various insolation levels of solar radiation through a voltage-dependent variable resistance load having a voltage-current characteristic in which the operating conditions of said voltage-dependent variable resistance load result in less power consumption than that which is available from said photovoltaic array at the peak power point of said photovoltaic array;
• passing a second portion of the array current through a demand-dependent variable resistance load, said demand-dependent variable resistance load changing the load on said photovoltaic array to enable said photovoltaic array to operate within approximately 5 percent of said peak power points over a range of demand-dependent variable resistance load power demands;
• enabling additional current to flow from a fuel cell system to said demand-dependent variable resistance load when the voltage of said fuel cell system is greater than or equal to the voltage of said photovoltaic array;
• and
• preventing current from flowing from said fuel cell system to said voltage-dependent variable resistance load and said photovoltaic array;
• whereby about 95 percent and more of the maximum power which said photovoltaic array produces is transferred for useful purposes.

A method of increasing the useful power in a solar power system comprising the following steps:

• passing a portion of the current from the photovoltaic array through a water electrolysis unit which provides a voltage-dependent variable resistance load and produces hydrogen and oxygen;
• passing the remaining portion of the array current through a demand-dependent variable resistance load;
• and
• storing hydrogen produced in said electrolysis unit in a hydrogen storage chamber.