Abstract:
For high labor cost country or hard to reach location such as Building Integrated Photovoltaic power plant (BIPV), an automatic monitoring system through each photovoltaic (PV) panel is very helpful to determine fault locations. This thesis proposes a novel technique, including with its electronic circuits, to monitor each PV panel performance through a series connected PV panel string by using large pulse communication technique. Objective of the design is to achieve lower monitoring circuit cost and zero power standby. The thesis describes existing PV monitoring systems on both academic papers and patents. Then, an electronic reliability prediction is used to estimate reliability of these systems. Before our circuit design, electrical parameters of an amorphous silicon PV panel is measured and modeled as electronic circuits to make circuit simulation results closer to real situation. Transmitting carries frequency and large pulse communication through a PV string are simulated and analyzed. The chosen technique, large pulse communication, is tested on a PV string under strong and weak sunlight conditions. Finally, the pulse communication is modified to meet practical usages; and its simulation result is also provided.