Photovoltaic AC module composed of a very large number of interleaved inverters

A photovoltaic panel fitted with a large collection of low-power inverters integrated at the level of individual solar cells is used to design an ac module. To facilitate dc-ac power conversion, the inverter aggregate is controlled using interleaved carrier pulse width modulation. Every solar cell operates at its maximum power point even when the photovoltaic panel is partially shaded. Additionally, a very low switching frequency can be used to minimize switching losses without increasing output distortion. Both system-level and local control strategies are developed to regulate power output, energy storage, and ensure stable operation. Experimental and simulation results are presented to verify and demonstrate the proposed method.