Low-cost low-power microgrid with photovoltaic panels

Abstract

The paper presents a microgrid with one renewable source, photovoltaic (PV) panels respectively. To reduce the cost of the microgrid the authors propose an interface between the PV panels and the DC bus or the storage system with two DC/DC boost converters obtained with the help of a dedicated integrated circuit used for switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs) control. This module can be multiplied to extend the PV string. Also, the authors propose a simple module for the microgrid energy management. The AC loads are connected to the microgrid through a commercial UPS.