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Power Electronics Smooth Solar Transition
Power Electronics Smooth Solar Transition
New devices address instability caused by high penetration of distributed solar.
By Martin LaMonica on January 21, 2014
As rooftop solar panels become increasingly popular, utilities are growing concerned that they will put pressure on local grids, destabilizing power service and requiring costly equipment upgrades.
The rapid adoption of solar photovoltaics has already prompted changes in Germany and parts of Hawaii, California, and New Jersey. Because nearly 10 percent of Hawaiian Electric’s customers have rooftop solar, the utility now requires solar contractors and customers on the island of Oahu to get approval before installing a PV system. It’s also developing a model for sharing the cost of studying what upgrades may be required to add another rooftop solar system, says a spokesperson for the local utility.
To address the instability caused by distributed solar, startup Gridco Systems is introducing a product that uses power electronics to smooth out spikes in voltage caused by solar generators. The company thinks its ground- or pole-mounted devices will create a distributed control infrastructure to monitor and manage the flow of power for a number of uses, including solar integration.
Today’s electromechanical systems, such as capacitor banks or voltage regulators at substations, can take minutes to adjust voltage and are far removed from the solar installations where the problems occur. Meanwhile, prices have come down for power electronics, devices that can change the properties of electricity and precisely control the amount of power going to various applications. That means the technology is more economical for use in the power grid, says Naimish Patel, the CEO of Gridco Systems, which has raised $30 million from venture capitalists.
If voltage on a circuit goes too high...
New devices address instability caused by high penetration of distributed solar.
By Martin LaMonica on January 21, 2014
As rooftop solar panels become increasingly popular, utilities are growing concerned that they will put pressure on local grids, destabilizing power service and requiring costly equipment upgrades.
The rapid adoption of solar photovoltaics has already prompted changes in Germany and parts of Hawaii, California, and New Jersey. Because nearly 10 percent of Hawaiian Electric’s customers have rooftop solar, the utility now requires solar contractors and customers on the island of Oahu to get approval before installing a PV system. It’s also developing a model for sharing the cost of studying what upgrades may be required to add another rooftop solar system, says a spokesperson for the local utility.
To address the instability caused by distributed solar, startup Gridco Systems is introducing a product that uses power electronics to smooth out spikes in voltage caused by solar generators. The company thinks its ground- or pole-mounted devices will create a distributed control infrastructure to monitor and manage the flow of power for a number of uses, including solar integration.
Today’s electromechanical systems, such as capacitor banks or voltage regulators at substations, can take minutes to adjust voltage and are far removed from the solar installations where the problems occur. Meanwhile, prices have come down for power electronics, devices that can change the properties of electricity and precisely control the amount of power going to various applications. That means the technology is more economical for use in the power grid, says Naimish Patel, the CEO of Gridco Systems, which has raised $30 million from venture capitalists.
If voltage on a circuit goes too high...
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/523386/power-electronics-smooth-solar-transition/