Sunpower Corporation

Solarbridge Technologies, Inc.

Enphase Energy, Inc.

Brian T Kuhn

Patrick L Chapman

Jonathan Ehlmann

Sandeep Narla

Philip T Krein

Robert S Balog, Jr

Jonathan W Kimball

Alexander Gray

Kevin C Fischer

Udo Uebel

Trishan Esram

Eric Martina

Julianne Frances Haugh

Kelly Michael Mekechuk

Dale Herman

Eric Roesinger

Marc A Robinson

Miles Bintz

Edward Krohne

Daniel Blair

William J Morris

Daidipya J Patwa

Philip Rothblum

The present disclosure provides curtailing photovoltaic (PV) power output and autonomous load breaking in a backup mode of an electrical system. The electrical system includes a PV system, an energy storage system having a storage converter, and an energy control system. The energy control system is electrically coupled to the PV system, the energy storage system, and a plurality of backup loads. The electrical system includes an autonomous load breaker electrically coupled to a first backup load. When the energy control system switches from an on-grid mode to the backup mode, the storage converter adjusts the frequency of the power supplied to the backup side of the energy control system to a setpoint frequency that curtails PV power output, and the autonomous load breaker electrically disconnects the first backup load from the energy control system.

Systems and methods for photovoltaic production curtailment and autonomous load breaking

The present disclosure provides energy control systems for whole home and partial home backup with integrated breaker spaces and metering. The energy control system includes a grid interconnection electrically coupled to a utility grid, a backup power interconnection electrically coupled to a backup power source, a backup load interconnection electrically coupled to at least one backup load, and a non-backup load interconnection electrically coupled to at least one non-backup load. The energy control system includes a microgrid interconnection device that switches between an on-grid mode to electrically connect the grid interconnection and the backup power interconnection with the backup and non-backup load interconnections and a backup mode to electrically disconnect the grid interconnection and the non-backup load interconnection from the backup power interconnection.

Energy control system

The present disclosure provides a method for controlling an energy control system. The energy control system includes a grid interconnection, a backup load interconnection, a non-backup load interconnection, and a backup power interconnection. The method includes receiving electronic data from a plurality of backup loads. The method includes detecting a power outage at the grid interconnection electrically coupled to a utility grid. The method includes disconnecting the grid interconnection from the backup power interconnection, in which the backup power interconnection is electrically coupled to a backup power source. The method includes connecting a first set of the plurality of backup loads to the backup load interconnection, in which the backup load interconnection is electrically coupled to the backup power interconnection such that power is supplied from the backup power source to the first set of backup loads.

Backup load energy control system

The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic (PV) disconnect device used in an electrical system. The electrical system includes an energy control system electrically coupled to a utility grid. The electrical system includes a PV power generation system electrically coupled to the energy control system. The electrical system includes an energy storage system electrically coupled to the energy control system. The PV disconnect device is electrically coupled to the PV power generation system and the energy control system. The PV disconnect device electrically disconnects the PV power generation system from the energy control system.

Photovoltaic disconnect device for storage integration

Enclosure

A photovoltaic (PV) system includes module-level power electronic (MLPE) devices that produce energy. The PV system includes a gateway to receive and send data to MLPE devices. The gateway also connects the PV system with a network, such as a local area network, that allows access to the Internet. The gateway provides functionality within the PV system to perform various processes to improve operation of MLPE devices.

Photovoltaic management and module-level power electronics

Door

A system and method for establishing communication between a controller and a plurality of inverters comprises determining a response time window length and broadcasting a response request to the array of inverters that includes the response time window length. Each inverter, in response to receiving the response requests, transmits a response to the controller at a randomly determined response time within the response time window. In response to receiving an acknowledgement from the controller, the responding inverter may ignore subsequent response requests. The controller may adjust the response time window and broadcasts the new response time window until no inverter response is received for a pre-determined number of response time windows.

System and method for establishing communication with an array of inverters

A device, system, and method for global maximum power point tracking comprises monitoring an output power of a DC power source while executing a maximum power point tracking algorithm and adjusting a maximum power point tracking command signal in response to the output power being less than a reference output power. The command signal is adjusted until the output power exceeds a previous output power by a reference amount. The command signal may be a voltage command signal, a current command signal, an impedance command signal, a duty ratio command signal, or the like.

Device and method for global maximum power point tracking

A device, system, and method for communicating with a power inverter of an array of inverters includes transmitting a relay message from an inverter array controller to a relay inverter in response to failing to receive a response from at least one power inverter of the array. The relay inverter is configured to retransmit a message from the inverter array controller to a non-responsive power inverter of the array of inverters in response to receiving the relay message. The relay inverter may subsequently retransmit a reply received from the non-responsive power inverter to the inverter array controller or to another power inverter of the array of inverters.

Device, system, and method for communicating with a power inverter using power line communications

An apparatus and method for controlling the delivery of power from a DC source to an AC grid includes an inverter configured to deliver power from the unipolar input source to the AC grid and an inverter controller. The inverter includes an input converter, an active filter, and an output converter. The inverter controller includes an input converter controller, an active filter controller and an output converter controller. The input converter controller is configured to control a current delivered by the input converter to a galvanically isolated unipolar bus of the inverter. The output converter is configured to control the output converter to deliver power to the AC grid. Additionally, the active filter controller is configured to control the active filter to supply substantially all the power that is deliver by the output controller to the AC grid at a grid frequency.

Apparatus and method for controlling DC-AC power conversion

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Champaign, IL, United States of America

Brian T Kuhn