Behavior of a photovoltaic inverter under sudden increase in irradiance due to reflection in clouds

This paper presents the behavior of a photovoltaic inverter under the so-called cloud-edge effect. This effect is a sudden increase of irradiance due to the reflection of the sun in a moving cloud. In response, inverters should limit the active power to prevent tripping on overcurrent or dc overvoltage. A commercial 833kW inverter was tested to ensure a satisfactory performance under these conditions. Several patterns were programmed in a PV simulator emulating what occurs when a cloud moves through the sky in a partially clouded day. Test results confirm the satisfactory performance of the evaluated inverter.