Converter technologies for PV systems: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Over the past decade, photovoltaic (PV) sources have experienced an average annual growth of 60%, and electricity generation using PV sources outstrips one-third of those by the entire installed wind-generation capacity, and has incremented by a factor of 483, within a period of less than 30 years, from 1.2 GW in 1992 to 580 GW in 2019. Rooftops-mounted solar PV systems as well as PV farms alongside the roads in the suburbs are from objective evidence of the increase in the installed PV capacity. Indeed, descending and ascending trends in cost and efficiency of PV panels, respectively are the driving force that turn PV energy into the primary source of energy worldwide. In addition, raising environmental consciousness, seeking fossil fuels free energy supply, and popular political rules or regulations issued by local governments such as increasing funding for renewable energy sources by creating feed-in tariffs, are among other factors affecting the installed PV capacity. To achieve cost-effective PV systems with the highest possible power conversion efficiency, maximum power density as well as system reliability, conventional single-stage grid-connected DC-AC power converters are replaced by advanced and therefore further complicated power converter topologies. A comprehensive review on present PV energy conversion systems, including the system structure of various types of PV plants as well as circuit configuration of PV converter topologies applicable for gridtied PV systems is presented in this chapter. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.