Reliability of Power Electronics in Photovoltaic systems: Design and Control Solutions-Slides

Abstract: Power electronics are essential for power conversion of Photovoltaic (PV) systems. In that regard, the reliability of power electronics systems strongly affects the availability and consequently the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of PV energy. According to field experience, the power electronics systems (e.g., PV inverter) are among the most fragile parts in PV systems that contribute to a majority of system downtime. With the demand to further reduce the cost of PV energy, the reliability of power electronics in PV systems needs to be improved to reduce the (unexpected) failure in field operation. This calls for a better design methodology as well as a proper control strategy. This presentation aims to address the reliability challenge and solution for power electronics in PV applications. It will start with identifying key components and their stress parameters in the PV inverter. Then, an approach to analyze the reliability of power electronics in PV applications will be introduced and demonstrated with a practical example of microinverters from industry application. Moreover, emerging control solutions to further enhance the reliability performance of the power electronics in PV applications will be demonstrated in this presentation. This webinar is sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society Technical Committee on Sustainable Energy Systems. For more information visit: https://www.ieee-pels.org/education/pels-webinars