Embedded BIPV module-level DC/DC converters: Classification of optimal ratings

Simon Ravyts, Mauricio Dalla Vecchia, Giel Van den Broeck, Georgi H. Yordanov, Juliana Emanuella Gonçalves, Jens D. Moschner, Dirk Saelens and Johan Driesen

Renewable Energy, 2020, vol. 146, issue C, 880-889

Abstract: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is seen as a key technology to reduce the environmental impact and net power consumption of buildings. The integration of PV into building components, such as façade, window, roof or shading elements, leads to a distributed generation over the building envelope with a profound impact on the electrical installation. Designing the electrical system with string inverters and a possible wide variety of module sizes and technologies is a challenging task. To overcome this issue, Module-Level Converters (MLCs) can be used. A supplementary benefit is that the consequences of partial shading can strongly be reduced. This paper investigates whether the current generation of MLCs is suited for embedment in facade BIPV modules. The PV output is categorized and compared to the input parameters of the converters. Besides the discrepancy between the physical dimensions of the converters and the desired installation location, thermal and electrical measurements on a prototype BIPV curtain wall element reveal that daily energy losses can be as high as 50% due to thermal overload when used in a moderate climate such as Belgium. The paper concludes by discussing further standardization of BIPV module-level converters.

Keywords: BIPV; DC/DC converters; Module-level converters; LVDC; Curtain wall (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148119310389
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:146:y:2020:i:c:p:880-889

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.07.018

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().