Patent ID: 8890363
Filing Date: 2014-11-18
Classification: H02J,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A solar energy plant comprising: a direct current (DC) bus; a plurality of photovoltaic panels coupled in parallel to said DC bus, each photovoltaic panel having a DC/DC converter, and a first controller configured to enable and disable said DC/DC converter depending on whether a voltage on said DC bus is equal to or greater than a first threshold and lower than or equal to a second threshold; a DC/alternating current (AC) inverter configured to be coupled to said DC bus and to output an output AC voltage; an auxiliary start-up power supply configured to charge a parasitic capacitance on said DC bus up to the first threshold; and a second controller configured to turn on said auxiliary start-up power supply based upon a start command, and to turn off said auxiliary start-up power supply and simultaneously turn on said DC/AC inverter when the voltage on said DC bus reaches a third threshold in an input voltage operating range of said DC/AC inverter.