High-efficiency inverter for photovoltaic applications

We introduce a circuit topology and associated control method suitable for high efficiency DC to AC grid-tied power conversion. This approach is well matched to the requirements of module integrated converters for solar photovoltaic (PV) applications. The topology is based on a series resonant inverter, a high frequency transformer, and a novel half-wave cycloconverter. Zero-voltage switching is used to achieve an average efficiency of 95.9% with promise for exceeding 96.5%. The efficiency is also projected to improve as semiconductor transistor technology develops further. Design and control considerations for the proposed approach are presented, along with experimental results that validate the approach.