A negative sequence voltage (NSV) protection system is provided that can be added to existing equipment or included as a standalone device for detecting GFOV in electrical configurations connecting distributed energy resources to utility grids. The NSV protection system can be implemented at the low side of a distribution transformer of a typical distribution circuit or in a control system of inverter-based energy resources connected to a distribution feeder. The NSV protection system includes a passive monitoring system that outputs a trip signal when a potential GFOV is detected to occur. The trip signal can then be relayed to open the circuit breakers of a distribution circuit or to cause an inverter-based energy resource to trip offline.

A method for operating a multi-level bridge power converter of an electrical power system connected to a power grid includes providing a plurality of switching devices of the power converter in one of a neutral point clamped topology or an active neutral point clamped topology, the plurality of switching devices including a first group and a second group of switching devices. The method also includes providing a multi-state deadtime for the first and second groups of switching devices that changes based on different state transitions of the power converter. Further, the method includes operating the first and second groups of switching devices according to the multi-state deadtime to allow the first group to switch differently than the second group during the different state transitions, thereby decreasing voltage overshoots on the first group during one or more of the different state transitions and providing safe transition between commutation states of the power converter.

A system and method for combining power from DC power sources. Each power source is coupled to a converter. Each converter converts input power to output power by monitoring and maintaining the input power at a maximum power point. Substantially all input power is converted to the output power, and the controlling is performed by allowing output voltage of the converter to vary. The converters are coupled in series. An inverter is connected in parallel with the series connection of the converters and inverts a DC input to the inverter from the converters into an AC output. The inverter maintains the voltage at the inverter input at a desirable voltage by varying the amount of the series current drawn from the converters. The series current and the output power of the converters, determine the output voltage at each converter.

A system and method for combining power from DC power sources. Each power source is coupled to a converter. Each converter converts input power to output power by monitoring and maintaining the input power at a maximum power point. Substantially all input power is converted to the output power, and the controlling is performed by allowing output voltage of the converter to vary. The converters are coupled in series. An inverter is connected in parallel with the series connection of the converters and inverts a DC input to the inverter from the converters into an AC output. The inverter maintains the voltage at the inverter input at a desirable voltage by varying the amount of the series current drawn from the converters. The series current and the output power of the converters, determine the output voltage at each converter.

A system and method for combining power from DC power sources. Each power source is coupled to a converter. Each converter converts input power to output power by monitoring and maintaining the input power at a maximum power point. Substantially all input power is converted to the output power, and the controlling is performed by allowing output voltage of the converter to vary. The converters are coupled in series. An inverter is connected in parallel with the series connection of the converters and inverts a DC input to the inverter from the converters into an AC output. The inverter maintains the voltage at the inverter input at a desirable voltage by varying the amount of the series current drawn from the converters. The series current and the output power of the converters, determine the output voltage at each converter.

A system architecture and method for enabling hierarchical intelligent control with appropriate-speed communication and coordination of control using intelligent distributed impedance/voltage injection modules, local intelligence centers, other actuator devices and miscellaneous FACTS coupled actuator devices is disclosed. Information transfer to a supervisory utility control is enabled for responding to integral power system disturbances, system modelling and optimization. By extending the control and communication capability to the edge of the HV power grid, control of the distribution network through FACTS based Demand response units is also enabled. Hence an integrated and hierarchical total power system control is established with distributed impedance/voltage injection modules, local intelligence centers, connected other actuator devices, miscellaneous FACTS coupled devices and utility supervisory all networked at appropriate speeds allowing optimization of the total power system from generation to distribution.

A control device (2) of an inverter converts electrical power generated by a solar cell (3) into alternating current power connecting to an electric power system (7). The control device includes: an alternating current voltage sensor (14) sensing a system voltage (Vr) of the electric power system; an MPPT executer (23) controlling a direct current voltage (Vdc) applied to the inverter (1) to cause the electrical power output from the solar cell (3) to be a maximum when the direct current voltage (Vdc) is higher than a lower limit (VL); a direct current voltage lower limit calculator 22 reducing the lower limit (VL) when the system voltage (Vr) is lower than a predetermined voltage; and an electrical power controller (25) controlling reactive power based on the system voltage (Vr), the reactive power being output from the inverter (1).

A grid connection power conversion device for connecting a distributed power supply to a three-phase commercial power system is provided. The power conversion device comprises an inverter, an instantaneous voltage detection circuitry to detect a maximum three-phase instantaneous voltage value of the commercial power system, a line voltage detection circuitry to detect a maximum value of each of three line voltages, an instantaneous voltage drop detection circuitry to detect an instantaneous voltage drop, and an output current control circuitry to control an output current value from the inverter. When the instantaneous voltage drop detection circuitry detects an instantaneous voltage drop, the output current control circuitry reduces the output current value from the inverter to an output current value corresponding to a minimum value among the four maximum voltage values which are the maximum three-phase instantaneous voltage value and the maximum values of the three line voltages.

A system for collaborative load balancing within a community of a plurality of energy nodes includes a central allocation server and a plurality of local agent servers. Each of the local agent servers is connected to a respective one of the energy nodes and has a processor configured to: receive input variables or parameters; predict, using the received input variables or parameters, a non-zero energy generation amount that power generation equipment can generate over a planning horizon and an energy consumption amount that will be consumed over the planning horizon; solve, using the energy generation amount and the energy consumption amount, an optimization problem over the planning horizon; and communicate a solution to the optimization problem to the central allocation server. Each of the energy nodes includes power generation equipment, power transmission equipment, and power storage equipment.

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for facilitating a shutdown of output power from an energy panel arrangement to an inverter. A shutdown implementation module is coupled between an energy panel arrangement and an inverter that converts DC power from the energy panel arrangement to AC power for an AC power grid. A communication connection is established, over a power-line communication line, between the shutdown implementation module and a shutdown controller associated with the inverter. Responsive to identifying a loss of the communication connection or receiving a shutdown instruction over the power-line communication line, the shutdown implementation module shuts down output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter. The shutdown implementation module may be located within a threshold distance from the energy panel arrangement (e.g., within about 10 feet) so that the output power may be shutoff within a threshold timespan (e.g., within about 10 seconds).