Patent ID: 8273979
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: G05F,H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A photovoltaic (PV) system, comprising a plurality of PV modules connected in series, selected ones of the PV modules having an associated energy storage circuit in parallel therewith, and a switched bypass current path in parallel with the associated energy storage circuit, the PV system further comprising control circuitry associated with each selected PV module programmed to control the switched bypass current path associated with each selected PV module independent of the control circuitry associated with any other selected PV module with reference to a local PV module current through the associated selected PV module, an aggregate system current through the switched bypass current path, and a local PV module voltage across the energy storage circuit, such that an averaged product of the local PV module current and the local PV module voltage for each selected PV module is maximized.