A Study of High Efficiency Microconverter Topology for Solar Power Generation Systems

In this study, we analyze the characteristics of microconverters utilized in photovoltaic systems. Microconverters are individually attached to solar panels and are instrumental in optimizing the power-generation performance of each panel, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of photovoltaic systems. The utilization of microconverters implies the need for optimizing the performance of the entire photovoltaic system. In systems employing microconverters for photovoltaic power generation, a combination of centralized and distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controls is employed. Distributed MPPT control operates concurrently to mitigate MPPT losses incurred solely by centralized MPPT control during mismatching due to shading. In the absence of a mismatch, only centralized MPPT control is engaged, and the microconverter operates using bypass control instead of MPPT control. In addition, this study proposes a high-efficiency bypass topology by scrutinizing the losses in the bypass operation mode of the buck converter topology. A prototype was manufactured to facilitate a comparison and analysis of the performance of the proposed topology.