Solar Inverters The Brains Enabling the PV Revolution Dr. Lutz Henckels Chairman & CEO HiQ Solar 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar – Beirut Energy Forum 2014 1 Network Evolution – Usually Become Distributed over Time Small, intelligent, distributed Power Computer Phone Large, Centralized Time 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 2 Changing Grid Requirements Old Model New Distributed Model • Consumers are also generators • Renewable energy is unpredictable • Distributed battery storage helps Power Generation Power flow High Voltage Distribution Storage Generation Sub-Station Local distribution Generation Consumer/ Generator/ Energy Store Consumers 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential Source for VRT graph: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/next-generation-grid-connected-inverter-controls-and-capabilities 3 The Inverter is the brain of the PV plant 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 4 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 5 Credit: Mercedes Benz Grid side of the brain: • Distributed Power can help the grid • Reactive Power (PFC) control day & night • But Grid needs control • Ride through a lot of …….that the grid does • Low voltage ride-through • Fault ride-through • Lebanon ride-throughs 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 6 Credit: Mercedes Benz Half of the Brain of Inverters New Grid Requirements Reactive Power (PFC) control day & night Frequency-dependent power control Adjust for disturbances in grid Low voltage ride-through and more Central Grid Side Central inverters build like a Hummer 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 7 PV side of the brain New Requirements • Desire for greater granularity – distributed intelligence: • Maximize Harvest – Christmas lights! • Monitoring • Commissioning, troubleshooting • …if it doesn’t cost more…. • New focus on fire prevention – 1,000 volts arc detect and array shutdown 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 8 Credit: Mercedes Benz Right side of the Inverter Brain Micro PV Plant Side SmartGrid Demand Response • Peak shaving • Load shifting Plant-Side Maximize power harvest Minimize installation cost Minimize troubleshooting time Storage management Grid independence 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential Safety – arc, remote disconnects 9 Two Sides of the Brain – Inverter types Grid Side String PV Plant Side Micro Central California Install Costs by Inverter Type Inefficient PV Central inverters need • Transformers • String combiners • Concrete pads • Fencing and more all adds to BOS cost Central New grid-side and plant-side needs converge at the inverter $/W for total installation 2011 2012 2013 2014 • California commercial installations (>25 kW), from CEC data downloaded in May ‘14 • 3-phase inverters, 208V, 240V, 480V 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 10 HiQ TrueString Inverter – Intelligent Design What is it? • 7 kW PV inverter • 380-415Vac 3-phase • One gateway for up to 200 inverters = 1MW+ 27 kW 7.6kW • Small, sealed, rugged, reliable, light • Easily mounts on array • Zero maintenance inverter • Intelligent bi-directional design • for maximizing kWh • for smart grid requirements • for micro-grids and off-grid • for storage, wind • PV plant management – lower O&M • Predictive Maintenance • Remote diagnostics (60 sensors) Lower cost 23-Sep-14 7 kW Higher-IQ HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 11 7kW HiQ TrueString - Brain of the New Grid Ready for • 3-Phase Commercial Rooftops • Solar plants • Local storage, wind Smart Grid PV Wind Turbine Car Port Smart Meter Electric Vehicle 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 12 Batteries Solves needs of: • Plant-side • Grid-side .…both sides of the brain “Hi-IQ” HiQ TrueString Intelligent for Grid and Plant Grid Plant • Reactive power • Granularity of 4 • AC/DC scope kW, ~16 modules measurements • Reliable arc detect • IV curve measurements 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential Rugged • NEMA6 waterproof • No electrolytics 13 PV Market Dynamics (US View) – Capturing the Brain of the PV Plant Expect Vertical Integration to provide complete, cost effective solution Inverter Companies String Old School kWh Lower O&M Project Companies Module Companies Electronics in panels Margins 23-Sep-14 Modern HiQ Solar - Company Confidential 14 Summary • New grid-side and plant-side needs converge at inverter • Smart inverters are coming to be the brains of the power network • Mircro-string inverters are the ideal solution – cost effective and smart HiQ Solar has • next generation Hi-IQ inverter • PV plant management platform • Using computation rather than brute force 23-Sep-14 HiQ Solar - Company Confidential Hi-IQ Hi- 15 Thank you! Lutz Henckels [email protected]
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