Hardware implementation of grid connected PV system with energy management scheme

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are emerging as a prevalent renewable energy source for electricity generation. PV systems utilize photovoltaic cells for converting solar energy to electrical energy. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy limits the applications of PV systems in numerous fields of power engineering. To overcome this limitation, this paper presents a hardware prototype of the grid connected PV system with energy management system using batteries. The battery based energy management system provides a stable and reliable power output from PV system irrespective of the variations in solar energy. The energy management deploys bi-directional DC-DC converter for controlled charging and discharging of batteries. Single phase inverter has been employed for converting DC power output from PV cells to AC power. The grid synchronization control of the inverter has been achieved through TI-MSP430 microcontroller launch pad kit. Various modes of operation of the grid connected PV system are tested using the developed hardware prototype.