Optimization of SiC-Based H5 and Conergy-NPC Transformerless PV Inverters

The transformerless dc/ac inverters are critical components in the rapidly growing market of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) applications. They are synthesized by combining available solutions in terms of the power-section topology, power-semiconductors manufacturing technology, and structure of the output filter. In addition, the silicon carbide (SiC)-based power semiconductors are capable to operate reliably at high operating temperature and switching frequency levels combined with a very high efficiency. In this paper, a new design technique is presented for optimizing the switching frequency and structure of the output filter (either LCL- or LLCL-type) in transformerless H5 and conergy-neutral point clamped (Conergy-NPC) PV inverters, which employ SiC-type power devices. The design results demonstrate that the optimized SiC-based H5 and Conergy-NPC transformerless PV inverters are more effective in terms of energy production than their nonoptimized and silicon (Si)-based counterparts. In addition, by reducing the market price of SiC-type power semiconductors to the level of Si-based power devices, enables the development of optimized SiC-based PV inverters with a lower cost of energy than the corresponding PV inverters based on Si technology, thus maximizing the economic profitability of the PV system.