Single Phase Soft Switching Grid Tied Microinverter for Photovoltaic Applications

Solar photovoltaic energy is most common among the renewable power generation systems. Hence, grid integration of this technology is crucial for effective utilization of this technique. This can be facilitated by means of a DC-DC-AC converter. The proposed system consists of a step-up dc– dc converter and a high-efficiency inverter. Zero voltage switching (ZVS) method should be introduced in the proposed topology to reduce the voltage stresses on converters. Step up dc-dc converter combines an active clamp circuit and series resonant voltage doubler to limit switching losses. In the family of the inverters only a single power stage works at high frequency at a time. This reduces the switching losses and hence improves efficiency. A major contribution is the inclusion of closed loop simulation of proposed system with PV array and MPPT. A prototype with power rating of 400W is designed. The inverter is expected to show a maximum efficiency of 96.2%.