Improved pulse width modulation (PWM) inverter for photovoltaic solar power generation system for residential and light load applications

This paper presents the technique of converting the DC power from the photovoltaic cells to single phase AC power using an advanced pulse width modulated inverter. In a photovoltaic power generation system, it is required to use a simple single phase and high quality inverter for residential and light industrial applications especially in rural areas where small scale farmers may use this power for irrigation. The presented type of multi-step PWM inverter has special features such that it can be connected conveniently to separate solar cell modules that contribute to an easy implementation of the photovoltaic power generation system. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-step PWM inverter for solar power generation system. The circuit configuration, control method and operating characteristics of the system is described in this paper. The circuit diagram, simulation and experimental results are presented.