High frequency harmonic distortions measured in a Brazilian solar farm

The operation of modern power electronic switches located in photovoltaic (PV) inverters have the potential to create high frequency harmonic (HFH) distortions. This paper investigates the emission of such distortions by PV inverters installed in a Brazilian solar farm. High-resolution measurements are performed on three different commercial inverters, with 15 kVA rated capacity each. Results obtained from the specific measurements presented in this paper reveal HFH current distortions may reach up to 2% of fundamental frequency current, whereas HFH voltages remain below 0.2% of fundamental frequency voltage. Therefore, results suggest HFH distortions emitted by these specific PV inverters are unlikely to cause significant problems to the utility.