Optimal Exploitation of the Photovoltaic System and Compensation of the Energy Deficit by the Electrical Grid

In this article, the authors propose an electrical system conception able of supplying an alternative (AC) load by exploiting photovoltaic (PV) energy to the maximum and using the electrical grid as a backup source. The system is equipped with an own storage device which simulates in this study the absorption of any excess energy provided by the PV system in an electrolysis. On the other hand, when the AC load requires a power greater than that provided by the PV, it is the electrical grid that compensates for this energy deficit. This system is built around a varied architecture of converters (DC/DC converters, AC/DC and DC/AC converters). The DC/DC buck converters are used to extract the maximum energy from the PV panels. The AC/DC rectifier and the DC/DC boost converter allow the voltage to be adapted to the DC bus supplying a central inverter. Whether the energy comes from the PV or from the electrical grid, it is always supplied to the load by means of this inverter. This architecture ensures the supply to the load in all circumstances and stores the excess of photovoltaic by a clean process. The authors develop a specific and adequate control algorithm for each block of the system. The complete modeling of the system is developed in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The authors end by establishing an energy management strategy for the proposed system to optimal operation.