The residential Photovoltaic (PV) Distributed Generation (DG) of energy is expected to grow further in the following years due to the evolution of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) and Building Integrated PV (BIPV) systems. In such PV systems, the DC/AC inverter is the central component, since it interfaces the DC energy produced by the PV array into the AC electric grid and the local AC loads of the consumer.
In the eSOLAR project, a new type of smart low-cost single-phase PV inverter with high efficiency, high power density, high reliability and Internet of Things (IoT) interconnectivity has been developed for use in residential PV applications. The proposed PV inverter comprises a novel circuit topology, as well as new control and dynamic optimization techniques, which were developed within the framework of the eSOLAR project. The IoT-based operational analysis system and user-interface, which were developed, provide a continuous remote monitoring capability, enabling to reduce the cost of maintenance of the proposed PV inverter, as well as to reduce the energy losses of residential PV systems due to undetected malfunctions. A fully-functional experimental prototype of the proposed PV inverter has been developed and tested in a real PV system.
The goals of the eSOLAR project were the following:
1. To develop and experimentally test in real residential PV system, a novel PV inverter.
2. To conduct research on the design of PV inverter circuits and control techniques.
3. To disseminate the project results in top-tier scientific journals and conferences.
4. To prepare future commercial exploitation of the project results through the submission of applications for national and international patents.
The eSOLAR project has been implemented during 14/10/2019 – 13/10/2023 according to the following Work Packages (WPs):
– WP 1: Modulation and control of the proposed PV inverters
(Coordinator: Shanghai Maritime University)
– WP 2: Diagnosis, design optimization and online regulation based on Internet of Things
(Coordinator: Technical University of Crete)
– WP 3: Field-testing andexperimental performance evaluation
(Coordinator: SUN ENERGY SOLUTION A.E.)