Implementation of Grid Connected Solar PV power plants with parallel inverters

The growth of solar PV and wind in the electricity sector signifies a fundamental shift towards a more sustainable and diversified energy mix. Challenges such as intermittency, grid integration and storage solutions still need further innovation and development to maximize the potential of these renewable sources. The microgrid technology has significant role in power network, as they support grid at remote regions and areas prone to outages. The modular nature of solar PV technology is one of its key strengths, allowing for versatile deployment across various scales. The ability to deploy solar PV systems in various sizes and configurations makes it a highly adaptable technology, capable of meeting diverse energy needs across residential, commercial, industrial and utility sectors. This versatility has contributed to the widespread adoption of solar PV as a clean and renewable energy source, offering environmental benefits and contributing to energy independence. Designing single power converters for higher capacity is a challenge due to limited availability and cost of power semiconductor devices, switch gears, sensors and protection devices. Thus the need for integrated operation of small scale multiple inverters come into picture, where paralleling of multiple inverters with scheduled communication plays a key role. Paralleling of inverters can offer several advantages like increased power output, improved efficiency, even sharing of loads, ensuring optimal operation of inverters. This can lead to better performance and longer equipment life. The focus of this study is to enhance efficiency, reliability and performance of grid-connected solar PV systems operating with MPPT through parallel operation of inverters. Furthermore, the practical implementation of the proposed grid-connected solar PV system is outlined, including details on the hardware configuration, control algorithms and performance monitoring. Results from field tests and performance evaluations are presented, showcasing the effectiveness of parallel inverter configuration in maximizing energy harvest and minimizing system downtime.