Grid‐Tied solar powered system

GRID-TIED (ON-GRID)
SOLAR POWERED SYSTEMS
SUNLIGHT

Solar array
Government
AC power
source

Grid-Tied solar powered system does not use batteries

• The main component is an inverter (a device to convert DC electricity
received from the solar panel into AC electricity  regulate ithe electricity
and deliver it to the customer place)
• At day-time where there is a plenty of sunlight  the AC electricity from
the inverter is used by the customer
• At night-time where there is no sunlight  the customer receives the AC
electricity from the government power source is used
 Solar farm

Inverter Inverter Inverter

GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED SYSTEMS

The main important part of a grid ties solar

powered system is a grid tied inverter.
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
A grid-tie solar powered inverter is an electrical device
that allows solar power users to complement their grid
power with solar power. It works by regulating the
amount of voltage and current that is received from
the direct current solar panels (or other D.C. energy
source) and converting this into alternating current.
The main difference between an inverter and a grid-tie
inverter is that the latter also ensures that the power
supplied will be in phase with the grid power.
This allows individuals with surplus power (wind, solar,
etc) to sell the power back to the utility. This is
sometimes called “Net Metering”.
 Inverter difference

Grid
Tied
Inverter

Normal inverter is able to produce Grid tied inverter has a capability that ensure
high voltage AC electricity from a low the AC power supplied will be in phase with
voltage DC source. the grid power
 Alternating Current (AC)

In Singapore, the standard AC electricity is 240 VAC/50 Hz

The current of AC is fluctuating continuously from 0 to peak current and back to
repeatedly with total of 50 times of complete cycle in 1 minute.

If we connect two different numbers of AC cable that are not in-phase together 
there will be short circuit  so we have to control the current of the two different
cable in-phase with each other
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
How is a grid tie inverter different from other inverters?
• Firstly the 50 or 60Hz has to be matched in phase to
the grid. This means the local oscillator has to be in
sync with the grid.
• Secondly the voltage of the inverter output needs to
be variable to allow it to be slightly higher than the
grid voltage to enabling current to flow out to the
grid. This is done by sensing current flow and raising
the voltage on the output (or duty cycle of the
transformer input) until the current flow results in the
resulting output power matching the input power
from the DC supply
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
• Solar grid-tie inverters are designed to quickly disconnect
from the grid if the utility grid goes down (anti islanding)
• They contain special circuitry to precisely match the voltage
and frequency of the grid
• Anti-islanding protection is a way for the inverter to sense
when there is a problem with the power grid, such as a
power outage  and shut itself off to stop feeding power
back to the grid. This is because when problems arise with
the power grid it is assumed that workers will be dispatched
to deal with the issue, and they want the power lines to be
completely safe, and not have electricity flowing from all the
nearby PV grid-tie systems.
• This is an NEC requirement that ensures that in the event of
a blackout, the grid tie inverter will shut down to prevent the
energy it produces from harming any line workers who are
sent to fix the power grid.
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
Grid-tie inverters that are available on the market today
use a number of different technologies.
The inverters may use:
• The newer high-frequency transformers
• Conventional low-frequency transformers
• Non transformer (transformer-less)

Instead of converting direct current directly to 120 or

240 volts AC, high-frequency transformers employ a
computerized multi-step process that involves
converting the power to high-frequency AC and then
back to DC and then to the final AC output voltage.
GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
 Transformer
• Galvanic isolation is used where two or more electric circuits must
communicate, but their grounds may be at different potentials.
• It is an effective method of breaking ground loops by preventing unwanted
current from flowing between two units sharing a ground conductor.
• Galvanic isolation is also used for safety, preventing accidental current
from reaching ground through a person's body
• A transformer is the most widespread example of galvanic isolation
• A transformer is an electrical device that transfers electrical energy
between two or more circuits through electromagnetic induction.
Electromagnetic induction produces an electromotive force within a
conductor which is exposed to time varying magnetic fields. Transformers
are used to increase or decrease the alternating voltages in electric power
applications
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER

Historically, there have been concerns about having transformer-

less electrical systems feed into the public utility grid.
The concerns comes from the fact that there is a lack of galvanic
isolation between the DC and AC circuits, which could allow the
passage of dangerous DC faults to be transmitted to the AC side.

Since 2005, the NFPA's NEC allows transformer-less (or non-

galvanically) inverters.
The VDE 0126-1-1 and IEC 6210 also have been amended to
allow and define the safety mechanisms needed for such systems.
• Primarily, residual or ground current detection is used to detect
possible fault conditions.
• Also isolation tests are performed to insure DC to AC
separation.
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
Several strings of solar panels are paralleled in the combiner that
includes fuses or circuit breakers.
It is desirable although not required to have a separate overcurrent
interrupter for each string.
One of the two DC busses from the PV array are usually grounded.
In theory, either buss can be grounded- you need to check your part's
manual.
Most inverters come configured for negative ground, although some
panels manufacturers recommend positive ground for higher
efficiency.
The combiner frame or the PV arrays grounding conductor should
also bonded to an earth rod.
A manual DC disconnect switch is required at the place where the
cables from the solar array enter the house.
In U.S. the DC systems in use today can be up to 600V (in Europe =
1,000 v)
GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER

Conventional
Grid-Tied solar inverter schematic
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
By the way, in practice, the solar inverters often have several built-in
fused pairs of DC inputs that make an external combiner
unnecessary.
They also usually include both internal DC interrupt switch and
ground fault interrupter (ground fault monitor)

NON‐Transformer

With Transformer
 GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
Since it is hard to find UL listed single-pole breakers rated for
600VDC, installers often use a breaker with multiple poles connected
in series.
To reduce the possibility of a fire and to protect the system from a
damage caused by lightings it is desirable to have a voltage-clamping
device, such as a metal oxide-varistor (MOV) across the DC bus.

Besides a manual disconnect switch there should be a DC ground

fault interrupter (GFI) - a device that opens the circuit when it detects
a specified leakage current to earth.
Note that DC grounding should be done only in one place  If you
ground a cable both before and after GFI, the GFI will go off.
GRID TIED SOLAR POWERED INVERTER
Solar panel
Solar panel
Solar panel example
 Solar panel example

All the data in the solar panel brochure

is measured at STC (standard test conditions) of:

• Sunlight intensity of 1,000 W/m2

• AM (air mass) = 1.5 (Air mass is the optical path length through the
Earth's atmosphere for light from a celestial source. As it passes
through the atmosphere, light is attenuated by scattering and
absorption; the more atmosphere through which it passes, the
greater the attenuation. Consequently, celestial bodies at the horizon
appear less bright than when at the zenith. An air mass of 1 is
looking straight up from sea level at the sun when it is directly
overhead)
• Cell temperature = 25° C
Solar panel example

Pmax = Pm = Ideal max power of a solar panel in watts

Here Pmax = 250 watts
NOTE:
Vmp x Imp = Pmax
Solar panel example

Vmp (Vmpp) = Ideal voltage output at max power

Here Vmpp = 29.8 volts
Solar panel example

Imp = Ideal current output at max power

Here Impp = 8.39 amperes

“Vmp X Imp = Pmax”

29.8 volts X 8.39 amperes = 250 watts
 Solar panel example

If the solar panel has not yet been connected with an electricity, then we
measure the voltage of the solar panel straight from the two input points of the
solar panel, we can get the VOC (open circuit voltage)
Here Voc = 37.6 volts
Solar panel example
Solar panel example
Solar panel example
 Solar panel example

If a few solar panels are mounted together in an array, max system voltage is
the max voltage allowed for the array (combination) of the solar panel
installed in series (string)
Solar panel example
Solar panel example

MC4 solar
connector
behind the
solar panel

MC4 solar
female MC4 solar
connector male
connector
 Solar panel example

Solar panel installed in series

 Solar panel example

Solar panel installed in parallel

 Solar panel example

Solar panel installed in series & parallel

 Solar panel example

Ballasted mount solar panel

Various type of solar panel mounting bracket

 How to size
grid tied solar inverter
 MPPT
To extract the maximum power out of
the PV panels, the grid tied inverter
have to operate near peak power point
of their volt-amp curve.
This requires variable loading
depending on the sun illumination and
ambient temperature.
Grid tie inverters for solar applications
normally use maximum power point
tracking algorithm that helps to extract
maximum power from the panels (see:
I-V characteristics of solar panels).
Since sunlight intensity varies during
the day, it may not be simple to size
your system and find the required
amount of the panels.
 I-V characteristic of solar panel
MPPT stands for Maximum Power Point Tracking and it relates to the solar
cell itself. Each solar cell has a point at which the current (I) and voltage (V)
output from the cell result in the maximum power output of the cell. In the
diagram below the curve is an example of the standard output expected from
a solar cell, the Maximum Power Point is at the position marked on the
diagram.
The principle is that if the output from the cell can be regulated to the voltage
and current levels needed to achieve a power output at this point, then the
power generated by the solar cell will be used most efficiently.
As the cell temperature increases
 Voltage decreases. As the cell
temperature increases  Current
increases.
Since sunlight intensity & cell
temperature are varied everyday 
Solar panel voltage & current will
vary substantially  it will greatly
affected the system.
I-V characteristic of solar panel
 M P P T in grid tied inverter

Sunlight intensity varies from nothing to full sun every day.

This means solar panel output current can vary from 0 to full
array rating or more.
• Grid tied inverter need to work with solar panel arrays at
their lowest voltages (Vmp), which occur at under load on
the hottest day.
• As well as at their higher voltages, which occur at unloaded
open circuit array (Voc) conditions at the coldest day.
In some climates, temperature can vary by 40° C or more and
solar panel temperature can vary by 70° C.
This means the solar panel array voltage can vary by ratios of
nearly 2 : 1.
 PSH

World Map of PSH (Peak Sun Hour)

PSH is SUN HOUR data that is represented by the equivalent number of hours
per day when solar irradiance averages 1 kW/m2 in a certain region in the
world.
For example, 6 peak sun hours means that the average heat energy received
during total daylight hours in this region equals the heat energy that would have
been received had the irradiance for 6 hours been 1 kW/m2.
Indonesia is registered to have 4.5 – 5 peak sun hours in the PSH world map
 Conventional type 
grid type solar powered system
 Grid‐Tied inverter
In conventional Grid-Tied solar system:
(A) Solar panel array (series + parallel)
(B) Combiner (junction box + fuse) that
receive solar panel string D/C
disconnect (switch)
(C) D/C ground fault interrupter
(D) Grid inverter to convert DC power into
AC power
(E) Main service disconnect
(F) Electricity meter
(G) Main distributor panel

In USA  maximum total system D/C (solar panel) = 600 volts

In Europe  maximum total system D/C (solar panel) = 1,000 volts
 New   type 
grid type solar powered system
Grid‐Tied inverter

In the new type of

grid tied inverter,
there is already:
• Fuse
• D/C switch

So no need to use a
separate combiner
and DC-switch
anymore.
 Sizing
grid type solar powered system
(7200W)
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
200 watts

45.60 V 35.20 V 6.02 A 5.69 A -0.30 %/C -0.44 %/C

Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
200 watts

45.60 V 35.20 V 6.02 A 5.69 A

Imp (operational current) of a solar

panel = 5.69 A
1 string of solar panel (in series)  18 pcs of solar panel produce total
Imp = 5.69 A  since all are
connected in series (string)

Grid-Tied
1 grid-tied inverter can accept input
inverter DC power from the 2 pcs of string
solar panel that are installed in parallel
2 string of solar panel installed in parallel
 the total current Imp going into the
grid-tied inverter = (2 x 5.69) = 11.38 A

TOTAL POWER = 2 x 18 x 200 W

= 7200 W
 Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
18 Model SG8KTL-EC
Voc = 45,6 V 820.8 V 907 V 0
Vmp = 35.2 V 633.6 V 435 V 320-800 V
33 A

Voc at -10°C  45.6 + {(35 x 0.0030) x 45.6} = 45.6 + 4.79 = 50.39 amperes
18 nos of solar panel/string = 18 x 50.39 = 907 Volts  it must be below the
total system volts 1,000 Volts

Vmp at 70°C  35.2 - {(45 x 0.0042) x 29.8} = 29.8 + 5.63 = 24.17 volts
18 nos of solar panel/string = 18 x 24.17 = 435 Volts  it must be in between
320 – 800 Volts of the MPPT range of the inverter

We can choose the inverter model SG8KTL-EC

Max input current of this model = 33 amperes
(higher than total Imp calculated = 11.38 A)
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
 Sizing
grid type solar powered system
(33 KW)
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System

Imp (operational current) of a solar

panel = 8.39 A
1 string of solar panel (in series)  22 pcs of solar panel produce total
Imp = 8.39 A  since all are
connected in series (string)

Grid-Tied
1 grid-tied inverter can accept input
inverter DC power from the 6 pcs of string
solar panel that are installed in paralel
 the total current Imp going into the
grid-tied inverter = (6 x 8.39) = 50.35 A

TOTAL POWER = 6 x 22 x 250 W

= 33000 W = 33 KW

6 string of solar panel installed in parallel

 Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System

Voc = 37,6 22 x 37,6 = 827.7 0

Vmp = 29.8 22 x 29.8 = 655.6

Voc at -10°C  37.6 + {(35 x 0.0032) x 37.6} = 37.6 + 4.21 = 41.81 Volts
22 nos of solar panel/string = 22 x 41.81 = 919.9 Volts  it must be below
the total system volts 1,000 Volts

Vmp at 70°C  29.8 - {(45 x 0.0042) x 29.8} = 29.8 + 5.63 = 24.17 volts
22 nos of solar panel/string = 22 x 24.17 = 561 Volts  it must be in between
480 – 800 Volts of the MPPT range of the inverter

We can choose the inverter model SG30KTL

Max input current of this model = 66 amperes
(higher than total Imp calculated = 50.35 A)
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
 Sizing
grid type solar powered system
(99 KW)
 Inverter untuk sistem grid-tied solar
For this project:
• 22 ea of solar panel installed in series (string)
• 6 set of string of solar panel installed in parallel
• Using solar panel with power = 250 W/ea  total power of the solar panel array =
22 x 6 x 250 = 33 KW  We use grid-tied inverter model SG30KTL

• For 100 KW total of power  use 3 pcs of grid-tied inverter model SG30KTL 
TOTAL POWER = 3 (22 x 6 x 250) = 99 KW
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
Inverter for grid-tied solar system
FUSE DC Switch
Inverter for Grid-Tied Solar System
Software
 Solar tracker
A solar tracker is a device that tracks the sun as it moves on its path through the sky during 
the day, exposing your PV cells to an increased amount of sunlight and hence producing 
more electricity. This is because PV cells work best when they are directly facing the sun. The 
angle of the sun in the sky changes throughout the year as the tilt of the earth relative to the 
sun alters. In summer the sun is high in the sky and is also in the sky for longer as it travels 
through a longer arc length. In winter the sun is lower in the sky and is around for a shorter 
time as it travels through a shorter arc.
 Solar tracker
A solar tracker is a mechanical device that works by following the sun on its path
during the day.
There are two different types of mechanisms that are most commonly used “ active
trackers and passive trackers.
• Active trackers are directed toward the sun by electrical circuitry in the form of
light-sensing photosensors. Motors and gear trains are then employed to direct
the tracker as commanded by the photosensors to the sun’s direction. Active
trackers contain electrical components and hence use a small amount of power.
• Passive trackers use a hydraulic mechanism that responds to the heat of the
sun. A low boiling point compressed gas fluid is driven to one side or the other by
the sun’s heat, creating gas pressure and thereby moving the mechanism along.
Passive trackers generally do not consume any power.

Typically, active trackers are more accurate then passive trackers, and hence
favoured for uses where a pinpoint degree of accuracy is required, for instance
where concentrating solar collectors are used.
For solar PV applications the accuracy of passive trackers is more than sufficient.
 Solar tracker
On cloudy days your solar cells still produce energy as there is still light, although
their performance is obviously reduced.
In such situations the solar tracker will, by acting on the same principles, orient itself
optimally to pick up the most reflected ambient light.
Once the sun starts shining again, it will re-orient itself to face it.
 Solar tracker
Single-axis
Single-axis solar trackers follow the sun from sunrise to sunset as it moves in the
sky through the day from east to west. They are called a single-axis trackers as the
mechanism only rotates in one plane around a single axis. The axis can be oriented
so that the cells stand up at a tilt (called a polar axis) or lie flat (called a horizontal
axis). Horizontal axis’ are more suitable for small latitudes (locations in the tropics
and closer to the equator “ i.e. northern Australia), whilst polar axis are more
suitable for larger latitudes (locations far from the equator “ i.e. southern Australia).
.
 Solar tracker
Single-axis horizontal trackers are also structurally more rigid and stable, and
hence less likely to be damaged during storms.
In addition to the normal single-axis options, a new solar PV technology has been
developed called Tubular solar, where the shape of the cells themselves are
cylindrical, allowing the cells to capture the maximum amount of light as the sun
goes through it’s daily
 Solar tracker
Dual Axis
Dual-axis, or two-axis, trackers follow the sun completely. The two axes of rotation
allow the tracker to position the solar cells directly perpendicular to the sun’s ray all
the time. As they are able to adjust for the sun’s height as well east to west rotation
dual-axis trackers fully adjust for seasons as well as adjusting to face the sun as it
sits low in the horizon at sunrise and sunset, and high in the sky in the middle of the
day.
Dual-axis trackers capture the full extent of the sun, but they are slightly more
complex and hence a little more expensive. Dual-axis trackers make more of a
difference at greater latitudes (more southerly in Australia) where there is substantial
seasonal variation in the sun’s height and arc.
 Solar tracker

Disadvantages of solar trackers

• An added upfront cost to your solar installation
• Generally require some maintenance
• Moving parts and added complexity come with the usual
pitfalls of risk of breakdown
• Structurally less rigid then permanent mounts and hence
can be vulnerable to storm damage
 MICRO INVERTER
for small & medium application
 Micro Inverter
In the beginning, there were solar panels which produced electricity as Direct
Current (DC) - the same kind of electricity that you get out of batteries.
To make that electricity useful for powering appliances or connecting to the grid, it
was converted to Alternating Current (AC) using a big box of electronics called an
inverter.
In grid connected systems, the solar panels were connected together in series
(called strings) to create higher voltage DC, which is good for reducing losses.
However, this also created some problems
 Micro Inverter
A Micro Inverter is simply a miniaturised inverter, sized to suit individual solar
panels rather than a string of solar modules.
They aren’t new; they first appeared in the late 1990’s but arguably it was a bit too
early and the technology suffered from reliability issues and high prices. In the last
few years, though, they have re-surfaced and are starting to really take off.
Around the world there are at least 21 different brands of Micro Inverters, and in
Australia about 8 brands of Micro Inverters are approved for use with more on the
way.
Here's what one of the little fellas looks like next to its conventional alternative, a
big, bad central inverter.
 Micro Inverter
An AC Solar panel is simply a solar panel that has been fitted with a Micro Inverter
so that it produces Alternating Current instead of Direct Current
 Grid Inverter
A typical "Series String" array
Most of the solar panels installed in Australia right now are configured like this, with
one big inverter and one big DC voltage. If that 600V DC arcs then there's going to be
a bang! And possibly a fire (which is why you should never skimp on installation cost).
With micro Inverter
Micro inverter
Vs
Grid inverter
 Micro Inverter’s benefit
• Each PV panel gets its own inverter -- this means that each PV panel gets its
own MPPT tracking, and the PV panels do not have to be the same size or
brand.
• Expansion of the system is easy, in that you can add additional PV panels
and micro inverters -- the PV panels do not have to be the same brand or size
as the existing ones.
• If one inverter goes down, the rest of the inverters continue to produce.
• Enphase brand has a unique system in which each inverter reports how it is
doing to an "EMU" unit which you buy along with the system. The EMU unit in
turn sends this information on to the Enphase website. Each system gets a
website set up by Enphase which reports power production and any problems
the system may be having.
• If you don't have a sufficiently good internet connection to support this, you
can connect a computer directly to the EMU and still get some simple reports
from it. There is a $2 per year fee for this online reporting per inverter per
year.
Here are a couple examples:
• The inverters are designed to live in a very wide range of environmental
conditions.
• The system is probably a bit more straight forward for a DIY home owner to
install.
Micro Inverter’s benefit
Micro Inverter’s benefit
Micro Inverter’s benefit
Micro Inverter’s benefit
 Micro Inverter’ downturn
• On the down side, multiple micro-inverters
means multiple potential failure points, and the
even though the company appears to be doing
well, it is relatively new.
• When you look strictly at the dollars per watt of
inverter capacity, the Enphase system appears
to me to be more expensive, but it may earn that
back with the way it tracks and optimizes each
panel separately -- that is, it may get more out of
the system.
Micro Inverter’ downturn
 Micro Inverter
In the end we decided on the micro inverter approach by a small margin.
Part of this decision had to do with the ease of adding capacity to the the Enphase
system.
You don't have to worry about having to replace your entire expensive single
inverter, you just buy as many more micro-inverters as you need, and if you can't
get the same PV panels you used on the initial system (a common problem), you
can use different PV panels.
The other reason, which may be somewhat unique to our situation, is that if we
were to go with a single inverter, by far the best place to install it would be on the
outside wall next to my meter.
But, this is Montana, and while these inverters are designed for outdoor use, the
low end of the temperature range in the inverter specs does not go low enough for
our very low winter temperatures.
This may be something that the inverter can handle OK, as it would tend to warm
up as it starts getting power from the PV panels, but I got mixed opinions on
whether it was a good idea or not.
If I were to mount the inverter inside (which some people recommended fairly
strongly), the whole job becomes significantly more complex.
On the other hand, the Enphase inverters are rated all the way down to -40F, and
are designed for long term outdoor exposure.