Techniques for the optimal design of photovoltaic inverters interconnected with the electric grid

The DC/AC inverters are the key elements of grid-connected PV energy production systems. In this paper, a new technique for the optimal design of the power section and output filter of a full-bridge, grid-connected PV inverter, is proposed. The objective function which is minimized during the Genetic Algorithm-based optimization procedure is the PV inverter Levelized Cost Of the Electricity generated (LCOE). The proposed method has been applied for the optimal design of PV inverters installed at various sites in Europe. The simulation results indicate that the optimal values of the PV inverter design variables depend on the PV inverter specifications, the technical and economic characteristics of the components used to build the PV inverter and the meteorological conditions prevailing at the installation area.