Power electronics for renewable energy systems: Wind turbine and photovoltaic systems

The use of renewable energy sources are increased because of the depletion of natural resources and the increasing pollution level from energy production. The wind energy and the solar energy are most widely used among the renewable energy sources. Power electronics is needed in almost all kinds of renewable energy system. It controls the renewable source and interfaces with the load effectively, which can be grid-connection or working in stand-alone mode. In this paper, overview of wind and photovoltaic energy systems are introduced. Next, the power electronic circuits behind the most common wind and photovoltaic configurations are discussed. Finally, their controls and important requirements for grid connection are explained.