Smart combiner for fixed commercial photovoltaic systems using power line communication

Every year in the US, over 1000MW of photovoltaic (PV) panels are installed in the commercial sector. In order to increase this installation rate, lifecycle cost of ownership is a critical and transformative issue. Operation and maintenance costs must be lowered to improve the return on investment for owners. By creating a smart combiner, faulty PV panels can be immediately identified and replaced, minimizing down time and man-hours spent locating faulty PV panels. Further cost reductions are achievable by using the existing DC powerline for communication. Powerline communication (PLC) or Distribution Line Carrier Communication simplifies the installation of photovoltaic fault detection systems and provides a reliable means for fault isolation. Electrical parameters at the panel level can be continuously monitored and alarms initiated when faults are detected. This paper highlights the features of PLC as a reliable means for communication and presents the experimental results of a prototype system that is capable of fault detection.