Enphase Energy, Inc.

Nathan Charles

Benjamin Lewis Smith

A method and apparatus for using MLPE data for characterizing real-world operation a PV module. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining a plurality of temperature measurements, wherein each temperature measurement is a measure, by an MLPE proximate to a PV module, of temperature; obtaining a plurality of DC voltage measurements, wherein each DC voltage measurement of the plurality of DC voltage measurements is a measure by the MLPE of a DC voltage of the PV module; obtaining a plurality of DC current measurements, wherein each DC current measurement of the plurality of DC voltage measurements is a measure by the MLPE of a DC current of the PV module; obtaining racking design information with respect to the PV module; and determining a plurality of PV module temperatures for the PV module based on the plurality of temperature measurements and the racking design information.

Method and apparatus for determining key performance photovoltaic characteristics using sensors from module-level power electronics

A method and apparatus for validating distributed energy resource as-designed parameters. In one embodiment the method comprises obtaining, from MLPE coupled to a PV module of the DER, data corresponding to sunrise on a particular day; obtaining, from MLPE, data corresponding to sunset on the particular day; determining, by the computer system and using the data corresponding to the sunrise and the data corresponding to the sunset, (i) the length of the particular day and (ii) the solar noon for the particular day; computing, by the computer system and using the length of the particular day and the solar noon for the particular day, an as-built latitude for the PV module and an as-built longitude for the PV module; and comparing, by the computer system, (a) the as-built latitude to an as-designed latitude for the PV module, and (b) the as-built longitude to an as-designed longitude for the PV module.

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Lancaster, PA, United States of America

Nathan Charles