Solar photovoltaic-based stand-alone scheme incorporating a new boost inverter

This study considers the design of a solar photovoltaic (PV)-based stand-alone system using a battery for energy storage. Its main feature is a new boost inverter, derived by integrating a dc-dc buck-boost converter and a full bridge dc-ac inverter, which can perform simultaneous voltage boosting and dc-ac conversion. Inclusion of this inverter has led to the development of a three stage stand-alone scheme which can operate with low voltage level(s) for the PV and the battery. The logical evolution and operating principles of this inverter are presented, followed by an overview of the entire stand-alone scheme and its control structure. The complete scheme is validated both by detailed simulation studies and exhaustive experimental studies on a laboratory prototype.