Inverters?critical photovoltaic balance-of-system components: status, issues, and new-millennium opportunities

The balance-of-system (BOS) components in a photovoltaic (PV) installation include the array structure, trackers, ac and dc wiring, overcurrent protection, disconnects, interconnects, inverters, charge controllers, energy storage and system controllers. The inverter (sometimes called power-conditioning subsystem (PCS), power conditioner, or static power converter) is the key electrical power handling component of a photovoltaic power system that is attached to ac loads. This paper focuses on the inverter and its related functions as the critical electrical BOS element in a photovoltaic system. The paths that have been taken to arrive at today's inverter technology are summarized and developments in integrated hardware, advancements in packaging, advancements in manufacturing, and opportunities for the new millennium are presented. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.