A Sensorless Power Reserve Control Strategy for Two-Stage Grid-Connected PV Systems

Due to the still increasing penetration of grid-connected Photovoltaic (PV) systems, advanced active power control functionalities have been introduced in grid regulations. A power reserve control, where namely the active power from the PV panels is reserved during operation, is required for grid support. In this paper, a cost-effective solution to realize the power reserve for two-stage grid-connected PV systems is proposed. The proposed solution routinely employs a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control to estimate the available PV power and a Constant Power Generation (CPG) control to achieve the power reserve. In this method, the solar irradiance and temperature measurements that have been used in conventional power reserve control schemes to estimate the available PV power are not required, and thereby being a sensorless approach with reduced cost. Experimental tests have been performed on a 3-kW two-stage single-phase grid-connected PV system, where the power reserve control is achieved upon demands.