Transformerless Multilevel Voltage-Source Inverter Topology Comparative Study for PV Systems

Adyr A. Estévez-Bén, Alfredo Alvarez-Diazcomas and Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz
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Adyr A. Estévez-Bén: Facultad de Química-Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas, Las Campanas, Querétaro 76010, Mexico
Alfredo Alvarez-Diazcomas: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas, Las Campanas, Querétaro 76010, Mexico
Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas, Las Campanas, Querétaro 76010, Mexico

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-26

Abstract: At present, renewable energies represent 25% of the global power generation capacity. The increase in clean energy facilities is mainly due to the high levels of pollution generated by the burning of fossil fuels to satisfy the growing electricity demand. The global capacity of generating electricity from solar energy has experienced a significant increase, reaching 505 GW in 2018. Today, multilevel inverters are used in PV systems to convert direct current into alternating current. However, the use of multilevel inverters in renewable energies applications presents different challenges; for example, grid-connected systems use a transformer to avoid the presence of leakage currents. The grid-connected systems must meet at least two international standards analyzed in this work: VDE 0126-1-1 and VDE-AR-N 4105, which establish a maximum leakage current of 300 mA and harmonic distortion maximum of 5%. Previously, DC/AC converters have been studied in different industrial applications. The state-of-the-art presented in the work is due to the growing need for a greater use of clean energy and the use of inverters as an interface between these technologies and the grid. Also, the paper presents a comparative analysis of the main multilevel inverter voltage-source topologies used in transformerless PV systems. In each scheme, the advantages and disadvantages are presented, as well as the main challenges. In addition, current trends in grid-connected systems using these schemes are discussed. Finally, a comparative table based on input voltage, switching frequency, output levels, control strategy used, efficiency, and leakage current is shown.

Keywords: DC/AC converter; voltage-source; multilevel inverter; PV systems; neutral point clamped inverter; flying capacitor inverter; cascaded inverter; renewable energy systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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