We partner with developers, EPCs, and project stakeholders to lower initial construction costs while maintaining long-term operational efficiency. As thought leaders in solar engineering, we're at the forefront of evaluating and reshaping engineering practices to minimize Capital Expenditures (CapEx) and Operational Expenditures (OpEx), boost energy production, and increase revenue. This overview examines the PROS and CONS of different design approaches to fielding PV power systems with 1,500-volt string inverters.
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String inverters distributed throughout PV array. In this approach, the string inverters are spread out across the PV array. Each inverter collects PV source circuits from adjacent blocks of modules, and the output circuits are aggregated remotely at an AC switchboard. There are several advantages to this design. First, it eliminates the need for DC combiner boxes. Simplifying the system architecture.
Additionally, some 1500-volt inverters have multiple power point trackers, which can be beneficial in situations with tight row spacing and sloping terrain that may cause shading and mismatch losses. However, there are a few drawbacks. Wire connections and communications between distributed inverters require additional time and materials. This design also increases the time required for maintenance and troubleshooting. The voltage drop within the system is not optimized and the conductor upsizing may be necessary to maintain performance and stability.
Virtual Central inverter Without DC Combiner. This design utilizes multiple string inverters grouped together alongside an AC switchboard and an MVA step-up transformer, replacing the need for a single central inverter. This approach offers advantages such as simplified communication connections between the inverters, reducing cost and effort. It also improves accessibility for technicians during maintenance and troubleshooting. Furthermore, the design shifts voltage drop from the AC side, where it has greater impact, to the DC side, where it is less consequential.
This free voltage drop can be advantageous during peak solar generation periods. However, running many small gauge PV copper wires over a long distance can be costly. Additionally, inverters with a single PowerPoint tracker may miss out on the benefits of reduced mismatch losses in certain shading conditions. Virtual central inverter watt DC combines. This design approach offers similar advantages to the previous one, including simplified communication connections and improved accessibility for maintenance.
It also optimizes conductor costs by utilizing large-diameter aluminum feeders for long-distance runs. This helps reduce capital expenditure without compromising system performance. The main disadvantage is the additional cost of DC combiner boxes. However, this investment can result in significant savings and conductor costs for the DC collection system.