Abstract:
A method and apparatus for identifying a redeployment of a distributed generator component, at least a portion of the method being performed by a controller comprising at least one processor. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining a first identification (ID) for a first component of a distributed generator (DG) and a second ID for a second component of the DG; generating an association between the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the association identifies a relationship between the first and the second components; and comparing the association to a plurality of documented associations to determine whether the association has changed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/270,809, filed Jul. 14, 2009, which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to solar power systems and, more particularly, to a method and system for identifying solar power system components redeployed in the solar power system without authorization. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Use of distributed generators (DGs) to produce energy from renewable resources is steadily gaining commercial acceptance due to the rapid depletion of existing fossil fuels and the increasing costs of current methods of generating power. One such type of DG may be utilized within a solar power system, where each DG in the solar power system is comprised of photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert solar energy received from the sun into a direct current (DC). An inverter then converts the DC current from the PV modules into an alternating current (AC). The AC power generated by the DGs may then be used to power appliances at a home or business, or may be sold to the commercial power company. 
     Although deployment of DGs for generating solar power is becoming increasingly widespread and therefore more competitively priced, installation of such DGs still entails substantial costs, for example costs of individual PV modules and inverters. The out-of-doors and sometimes isolated location of the DGs along with the modularity of the DG components provides an opportunity for the components to be removed without authorization (i.e., stolen) and illegally re-sold for use in another DG. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art for identifying solar power system components that are redeployed in a solar power system without authorization. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for identifying a redeployment of a distributed generator component, at least a portion of the method being performed by a controller comprising at least one processor. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining a first identification (ID) for a first component of a distributed generator (DG) and a second ID for a second component of the DG; generating an association between the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the association identifies a relationship between the first and the second components; and comparing the association to a plurality of documented associations to determine whether the association has changed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a solar power system for distributed power generation in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an inverter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a master controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method for managing ID information at an inverter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method for managing ID information at a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of a method for identifying stolen components deployed within a solar power system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a solar power system  100  for distributed power generation in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The solar power system  100  comprises a plurality of distributed generators (DGs)  102   1 ,  102   2 , . . . ,  102   m , collectively referred to as DGs  102 , a communications network  112 , a master controller  114 , and a network operations center (NOC)  116 . The DGs  102 , the master controller  114 , and the NOC  116  are communicatively coupled via the communications network  112 , where the communications network  112  may comprise dedicated cables, wireless networks, LANs, WANs, the Internet, and the like. In some embodiments, the master controller  114  may reside within the NOC  116 . 
     Each DG  102  comprises a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules  104   1 ,  104   2 , . . . ,  104   n , collectively referred to as PV modules  104 , and a plurality of inverters  106   1 ,  106   2 , . . . ,  106   n , collectively referred to as inverters  106 , coupled in a one-to-one correspondence; in some embodiments, a DC/DC converter may be coupled between each PV module  104  and each inverter  106  (e.g., one converter per PV module  104 /inverter  106 ). In some embodiments, a PV module  104  and its corresponding inverter  106  may be physically, as well as electrically, coupled together to form an integrated AC module; in other embodiments, the PV module  104  and the corresponding inverter  106  may be electrically but not physically coupled together. Additionally, each DG  102  comprises a controller  108  and an AC bus  118 . Within each DG  102 , the inverters  106  and the controller  108  are coupled to the AC bus  118 . The inverters  106  invert DC power generated by the PV modules  104  to AC power and couple such AC power to the AC bus  118  for distribution. The generated AC power may be coupled via a load center to a commercial power grid and/or directly supplied to one or more users, for example private residences or businesses. Additionally or alternatively, the generated power may be stored for later use (e.g., utilizing batteries, heated water, hydro pumping, H 2 O-to-hydrogen conversion, or the like). In some alternative embodiments, one or more of the DGs  102  may comprise other types of renewable energy sources, such as wind farms, hydroelectric systems, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the number of PV modules  104  and corresponding inverters  106  may vary among the DGs  102  (i.e., different DGs  102  may comprise different numbers of PV module/inverter pairs). In one or more alternative embodiments, the PV modules  104  within each DG  102  may be coupled to a single centralized inverter for generating the AC power; in some such alternative embodiments, a DC/DC converter may be coupled between the PV modules  104  and the centralized inverter. In other embodiments, one or more of the DGs  102  may comprise a plurality of PV modules  104  coupled to a single centralized inverter, while other DGs  102  comprise a plurality of PV modules  104  coupled to a plurality of inverters  106  in one-to-one correspondence as previously described, or any combination thereof. 
     The controller  108  manages the DG  102  and communicates with the inverters  106  via power line communication (PLC) over the AC bus  118 . In some other embodiments, the controller  108  may communicate with the inverters  106  via alternative methods, such as other types of wired communications or wireless communications. The controller  108  is further coupled to the communications network  112  for communicating with the master controller  114 . 
     The controller  108  collects data pertaining to the health and performance of the PV modules  104  and the inverters  106 , and communicates at least a portion of such information to the master controller  114 . Additionally or alternatively, the master controller  114  may collect a least a portion of such information directly from the inverters  106  via the controller  108 . The controller  108  and/or the master controller  114  may communicate operational instructions to the inverters  106 , for example instructions to activate power production, halt power production, and the like. 
     In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, each PV module  104   1 ,  104   2 , . . . ,  104   n  may be coupled to an identification (ID) tag  110   1 ,  110   2 , . . . ,  110   n , such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, in a one-to-one correspondence; in some alternative embodiments where one or more DGs  102  comprise other types of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind farms, hydroelectric systems, or the like), one or more components of such renewable energy sources may be coupled to a tag  110 . The ID tags  110   1 ,  110   2 , . . . ,  110   n , collectively referred to as ID tags  110 , are capable of electronically providing a unique identification, such as a serial number, for each of the corresponding PV modules  104  (i.e., the ID tags  110  each provide a PV module ID for the corresponding PV module  104 ). Each ID tag  110  may be coupled to the corresponding PV module  104  during manufacturing or DG commissioning; alternatively, the ID tag  110  may be a component of the PV module  104  itself. The ID tags  110  may be passive (i.e., not requiring a power supply) or active (e.g., powered by a battery or other power source). 
     In some embodiments, as further described below, each inverter  106  may comprise an ID management module  120  (i.e., the inverters  106   1 ,  106   2 , . . . ,  106   n  comprise ID management modules  120   1 ,  120   2 , . . .  120   n , respectively) for obtaining the PV module IDs from the corresponding ID tag  110 . In some embodiments, each inverter  106  may interrogate the ID tag  110  of the inverter&#39;s corresponding PV module  104  to obtain the PV module ID; alternatively, an ID tag  110  may actively transmit the PV module ID to the corresponding inverter  106 . In some embodiments, the inverters  106  may each comprise a wireless transceiver (e.g., a radio transceiver) for wirelessly obtaining the PV module IDs; alternatively the PV module IDs may be obtained via wired connections between the inverters  106  and the corresponding ID tags  110 . In some alternative embodiments, the ID tag  110  may comprise a simple read only memory (ROM) module rather than, for example, an RFID tag. In such embodiments, contacts would be required for communicatively coupling the ROM to the inverter  106 , where communication between the ROM and the inverter  106  may utilize a bus, such as a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) bus, an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus, or the like. 
     After obtaining the PV module IDs, the inverters  106  may then provide the PV module IDs to the controller  108  via the PLC; for example, the inverters  106  may actively transmit the information to the controller  108 , or the controller  108  may collect such information from the inverters  106 . In some embodiments, the inverters  106  may obtain the PV module IDs from the ID tags  110  on demand and/or on a periodic basis, where the periodicity may be set by a user or predefined. Additionally or alternatively, the inverters  106  may obtain the PV module IDs upon activation; for example, the inverter  106  may obtain the PV module ID upon initial turn up and/or following daily activation (e.g., following sunrise). In one or more alternative embodiments, the controller  108  may wirelessly obtain the PV module IDs directly from the ID tags  110  (i.e., the controller  108  may comprise a wireless transceiver for obtaining the information). For example, the ID tags  110  may actively transmit the PV module IDs to the controller  108 , or the controller  108  may directly interrogate the ID tags  110  for the PV module IDs 
     In addition to providing the PV module IDs to the controller  108 , the inverters  106  may also each provide a unique inverter ID, such as a serial number stored within the inverter&#39;s memory, to the controller  108 . The controller  108  may then associate the PV module IDs with the corresponding inverter IDs, thereby indicating the relationships between the PV modules  104  and the inverters  106  (i.e., which PV module  104  is coupled to which inverter  106 ); alternatively, the inverters  106  may make and communicate such associations to the controller  108 . 
     In some embodiments, the controller  108  may associate the PV module IDs and/or the inverter IDs with a controller ID (e.g., an ID stored within the controller&#39;s memory), thereby identifying within which DG  102  the PV modules  104  and/or inverters  106  reside. In some alternative embodiments, the controller  108  may only obtain the inverter IDs corresponding to the inverters  106  and associate the inverter IDs with the controller ID (e.g., in some alternative embodiments the inverter  106  may be an integrated component of the PV module  104 , such as for an AC module, where a single inverter ID identifies the integrated inverter/PV module). 
     The controller  108  communicates the associated ID information (e.g., associations between PV module IDs and inverter IDs, PV module IDs and the controller ID, inverter IDs and the controller ID, or the like) to the master controller  114 . For example, the controller  108  may actively transmit the information to the master controller  114 , or the master controller  114  may collect such information from the controller  108 . In some embodiments, the controller  108  may transmit the information to the master controller  114  upon receiving the information, on demand, periodically, based on a set schedule, or the like. In one or more alternative embodiments, the master controller  114  may retrieve IDs for components of one or more DGs  102  (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, and/or controller IDs) from the controllers  108  or directly from the inverters  106  (e.g., via the controllers  108 ). In such embodiments, the master controller  114  may associate some or all of the obtained IDs; for example, for each DG  102 , the master controller  114  may associate the PV modules IDs and/or the inverter IDs with the corresponding controller ID. Alternatively, some or all of the ID information may already be associated when obtained by the master controller  114 . 
     The master controller  114  maintains previously recorded ID association information for the DGs  102  in a component tracking database. When one or more components are added to the system  100 , for example when a new DG  102  is commissioned or when a PV module  104  or PV module  104 /inverter  106  pair (i.e., an AC module) is replaced within an existing DG  102 , the master controller  114  analyzes the ID associations for the newly added components. Such analysis comprises comparing the ID associations for the newly added components to the ID associations previously recorded within the component tracking database. Based upon the comparison, the master controller  114  determines whether any ID mismatches exist; i.e., whether any associations for IDs of the newly added components have changed from previously recorded ID associations. Such changes in ID associations indicate that one or more of the newly added components were previously associated with different DG components and have been redeployed within the solar power system  100  without authorization (e.g., stolen from a particular DG  102  and subsequently utilized within another DG  102 ). For example, when a PV module  104  is added to a DG  102 , the corresponding PV module ID may be associated with a different inverter ID than previously recorded in the component tracking database. Such a change in the ID association indicates that the PV module  104  has been removed from another DG  102  without authorization. 
     In some embodiments, an ID and/or associations between IDs may include an indicia for indicating when the corresponding components are actually legitimately redeployed within the solar power system  100  and, therefore, changes in the ID associations should not be considered to indicate that the components have been redeployed without authorization. For example, a homeowner having a DG may decide to sell one or more of his system&#39;s components to another homeowner also having a DG. 
     In the event that one or more ID mismatches (i.e., changes in ID associations) are determined, the corresponding components may be considered stolen and the master controller  114  may halt power production from the stolen components by issuing the appropriate commands to the corresponding controller  108 . The master controller  114  may also determine the current location of the stolen components, for example, by utilizing the IP address of the controller  108  for the DG  102  in which the stolen components have appeared. Additionally or alternatively, the master controller  114  may issue a notification to a user (e.g., an owner of the DG  102 ) and/or to an appropriate authority, i.e., the police. 
     If no ID mismatches (i.e., no changes in ID associations) are found for components newly added to the DGs  102 , the master controller  114  updates the component tracking database by adding the ID associations corresponding to the newly added components. In some embodiments, the master controller  114  may periodically analyze the ID associations for one or more components of the DGs  102 ; for example, the master controller  114  may analyze the ID associations based on a set schedule, or as a DG begins power production following sunrise. Additionally, the master controller  114  may periodically update the component tracking database (for example, each time ID associations are analyzed). 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an inverter  106  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The inverter  106  comprises a power conversion module  202 , a conversion control module  204 , an AC voltage sampler  206 , and an inverter control module  208 . 
     The power conversion module  202  is coupled via two input terminals to the PV module  104 , and via two output terminals to the AC bus  118 . The conversion control module  204  is coupled to the power conversion module  202  and the inverter control module  208 . The AC voltage sampler  206  is coupled to the two output terminals of the power conversion module  202  and to the conversion control module  204 . The AC voltage sampler  206  provides samples of a line voltage, for example an AC commercial power grid voltage, to the conversion control module  204 , and the conversion control module  204  provides control and switching signals to the power conversion module  202  for converting DC power from the PV module  104  to AC power. The AC power produced may then be coupled to the commercial power grid such that it is in-phase with the AC grid voltage. 
     The inverter control module  208  comprises an inverter PLC transceiver  210 , an inverter wireless transceiver  212 , support circuits  216 , and a memory  218 , each coupled to a central processing unit (CPU)  214 . The CPU  214  may comprise one or more conventionally available microprocessors. Additionally or alternatively, the CPU  214  may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). The support circuits  216  are well known circuits used to promote functionality of the CPU  214 . Such circuits include, but are not limited to, a cache, power supplies, clock circuits, buses, network cards, input/output (I/O) circuits, and the like. The inverter control module  208  may be implemented using a general purpose computer that, when executing particular software, becomes a specific purpose computer for performing various embodiments of the present invention. 
     The inverter wireless transceiver  212  communicatively couples the inverter  106  to the ID tag  110  for obtaining the PV module ID, for example, by actively querying the ID tag  110  for the PV module ID. In some alternative embodiments where the PV module ID is obtained via a wired connection between the inverter  106  and the corresponding ID tag  110 , the inverter control module  208  may not comprise the inverter wireless transceiver  212 . 
     The inverter PLC transceiver  210  is coupled across the AC bus  118  for communicating with the controller  108  via PLC. Such communication may include providing PV module ID and/or inverter ID information (e.g., IDs, associations between IDs) to the controller  108 , receiving operating instructions from the controller  108  (e.g., initiating power production, halting power production), and the like. In one or more alternative embodiments, the inverter control module  208  may communicate with the controller  108  and/or the master controller  114  utilizing wireless or other types of wired communication methods, for example a WI-FI or WI-MAX modem, 3G modem, cable modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), fiber optic, or similar type of technology; in such embodiments, the inverter control module  208  may not comprise the inverter PLC transceiver  210 . 
     The memory  218  may comprise random access memory, read only memory, removable disk memory, flash memory, and various combinations of these types of memory. The memory  218  is sometimes referred to as main memory and may, in part, be used as cache memory or buffer memory. The memory  218  generally stores the operating system  220  of the inverter control module  208  that can be supported by the CPU capabilities. The operating system  220  may be one of a number of commercially available operating systems such as, but not limited to, Linux, Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), and the like. 
     The memory  218  may store various forms of application software, such as inverter management software  222  for managing the inverter  106  (e.g., for managing power production by the inverter  106 ). Additionally, the memory  218  may store ID management module  120  for performing various functions related to the present invention. Such functions may include retrieving the PV module ID; retrieving the inverter ID, associating the PV module ID with the inverter ID; and/or providing the PV module ID, inverter ID, and/or related information (e.g., ID associations) to the controller  108 . The memory  218  may also store an inverter database  226  for storing information such as the PV module ID, the inverter ID, information associating the PV module ID and the inverter ID, and the like. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a controller  108  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The controller  108  comprises a controller PLC transceiver  302 , a controller transceiver  304 , at least one central processing unit (CPU)  306 , support circuits  308 , and a memory  310 . The CPU  306  is coupled to the controller PLC transceiver  302 , the controller transceiver  304 , the support circuits  308 , and the memory  310 , and may comprise one or more conventionally available microprocessors. Additionally or alternatively, the CPU  306  may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). The support circuits  308  are well known circuits used to promote functionality of the CPU  306 . Such circuits include, but are not limited to, a cache, power supplies, clock circuits, buses, network cards, input/output (I/O) circuits, and the like. The controller  108  may be implemented using a general purpose computer that, when executing particular software, becomes a specific purpose computer for performing various embodiments of the present invention. 
     The controller PLC transceiver  302  is coupled to the AC bus  118  for communicating with the inverters  106  via PLC, for example, to obtain PV module ID and/or inverter ID information (e.g., IDs, associations between IDs), to provide operating instructions (e.g., initiating power production, halting power production), and the like. In one or more alternative embodiments, the controller  108  may communicate with the inverters  106  utilizing wireless or other types of wired communication methods, for example a WI-FI or WI-MAX modem, 3G modem, cable modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), fiber optic, or similar type of technology. 
     The controller transceiver  304  communicatively couples the controller  108  to the master controller  114  via the communications network  112  to facilitate the management of the DG  102  (e.g., for operating the controller  108  and/or inverters  106 ). The controller  108  may provide information pertaining to the DG  102  (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, a controller ID, associations between PV module IDs, inverter IDs, and/or the controller ID, and similar information), to the master controller  114  via the controller transceiver  304 . The controller transceiver  304  may utilize wireless or wired techniques, for example a WI-FI or WI-MAX modem, 3G modem, cable modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), fiber optic, or similar type of technology, for coupling to the network  112  to provide such communication. 
     The memory  310  may comprise random access memory, read only memory, removable disk memory, flash memory, and various combinations of these types of memory. The memory  310  is sometimes referred to as main memory and may, in part, be used as cache memory or buffer memory. The memory  310  generally stores the operating system  312  of the controller  108 . The operating system  312  may be one of a number of commercially available operating systems such as, but not limited to, SOLARIS from SUN Microsystems, Inc., AIX from IBM Inc., HP-UX from Hewlett Packard Corporation, LINUX from Red Hat Software, Windows 2000 from Microsoft Corporation, and the like. 
     The memory  310  may store various forms of application software, such as DG management software  314  for managing the subtending DG  102  and the corresponding components (e.g., controlling inverter power production). Additionally, the memory  310  may store DG ID management software  316  for performing various functions related to the present invention. Such functions may include obtaining the PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs, associating the PV module IDs with the corresponding inverter IDs or obtaining such information from the inverters  106 , associating the PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs to the DG  102  (e.g., to the controller ID), and/or providing ID information (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, a controller ID, associations between IDs, or the like) to the master controller  114 . The memory  310  also comprises a controller database  318  for storing information related to the present invention, such as PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs, a controller ID, associations between IDs, and the like. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a master controller  114  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The master controller  114  comprises a master controller transceiver  402 , support circuits  406 , and a memory  408 , each coupled to at least one central processing unit (CPU)  404 . The CPU  404  may comprise one or more conventionally available microprocessors. Additionally or alternatively, the CPU  404  may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). The support circuits  406  are well known circuits used to promote functionality of the CPU  404 . Such circuits include, but are not limited to, a cache, power supplies, clock circuits, buses, network cards, input/output (I/O) circuits, and the like. The master controller  114  may be implemented using a general purpose computer that, when executing particular software, becomes a specific purpose computer for performing various embodiments of the present invention. 
     The master controller transceiver  402  communicatively couples the master controller  114  to the controllers  108  via the communications network  112  to facilitate the management of the DGs  102  (e.g., for operating the controllers  108  and/or inverters  106 ). Additionally, the master controller  114  may receive ID information pertaining to the DGs  102  (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, controller IDs, associations between IDs, and similar information) from the controllers  108  via the controller transceiver  304 . The master controller transceiver  402  may utilize wireless or wired techniques, for example a WI-FI or WI-MAX modem, 3G modem, cable modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), fiber optic, or similar type of technology, for coupling to the network  112  to provide such communication. 
     The memory  408  may comprise random access memory, read only memory, removable disk memory, flash memory, and various combinations of these types of memory. The memory  408  is sometimes referred to as main memory and may, in part, be used as cache memory or buffer memory. The memory  408  generally stores an operating system  410  of the master controller  114 . The operating system  410  may be one of a number of commercially available operating systems such as, but not limited to, SOLARIS from SUN Microsystems, Inc., AIX from IBM Inc., HP-UX from Hewlett Packard Corporation, LINUX from Red Hat Software, Windows 2000 from Microsoft Corporation, and the like. 
     The memory  408  may store various forms of application software, such as system management software  412  for managing DGs  102  of the solar power system  100  (e.g., for providing instructions to the controllers  108  for operating the inverters  106 ). Additionally, the memory  408  may comprise various databases, such as a master controller database  416  for storing data pertaining to managing the DGs  102  and a component tracking database  418  for storing data related to the present invention (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, and/or controller IDs, associations between IDs, and the like). 
     The memory  408  further may store component tracking software  414  for performing various functions related to the present invention. Such functions may include obtaining ID information from the controllers  108  and/or the inverters  106 , generating associations between PV module IDs, inverter IDs, and/or controller IDs, and the like. Additionally, the component tracking software  414  analyzes ID associations by comparing the associations for one or more DG components to the ID associations within the component tracking database  418  in order to identify any ID mismatches (i.e., whether any ID associations are different from those previously recorded). Such ID mismatches (e.g., a PV module ID associated with a different inverter ID than that which was previously recorded, a PV module ID/inverter module ID pair associated with a different controller ID than that which was previously recorded) indicate that the corresponding components have been redeployed within the solar power system  100  without authorization (e.g., stolen from a particular DG  102  and utilized within another DG  102 ). 
     In the event that any components within the solar power system  100  are determined to have been redeployed without authorization, the master controller  114  may inhibit power production from the corresponding components by issuing control commands to the appropriate inverters  106  via the corresponding controllers  108 . The master controller  114  may additionally issue a notification to an appropriate authority and/or a DG user, for example, via the communications network  112 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method  500  for managing ID information at an inverter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment described below, an inverter is deployed within a DG and is coupled to a PV module for inverting DC power from the PV module to AC power (e.g., the PV module  104  coupled to the inverter  106  within the DG  102 ); in alternative embodiments, the inverter may be coupled to a plurality of PV modules. Additionally, the inverter is coupled to a controller (e.g., the controller  108 ) for managing the inverter, as previously described. In one or more alternative embodiments, the DG may comprise other types of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind farms, hydroelectric systems, or the like), and the inverter is coupled to such energy sources for inverting DC power from the energy sources to AC power. 
     The method  500  starts at step  502  and proceeds to step  504 , where the inverter obtains a unique PV module ID, such as a serial number, identifying the coupled PV module. In some embodiments, an ID tag (e.g., an ID tag  110 , which may be an RFID tag, a simple ROM module, or similar device for communicating an ID) is coupled to the PV module for providing the PV module ID. The ID tag may be coupled to the PV module during commissioning of the DG or during manufacturing of the PV module; alternatively, the ID tag may be built into the PV module. The ID tag may be passive (i.e., not requiring a power supply) or active (e.g., powered by a battery or other power source). In one or more alternative embodiments where the DG comprises other types of renewable energy sources, the inverter may obtain unique IDs for one or more components of such renewable energy sources, for example, from ID tags coupled to the components. 
     The inverter may utilize a wireless transceiver (e.g., a wireless transceiver within the inverter) to wirelessly obtain the PV module ID from the ID tag; alternatively, the PV module ID may be obtained via a wired connection between the inverter and the ID tag. In some embodiments, the inverter may interrogate the ID tag to obtain the PV module ID or, alternatively, the ID tag may actively transmit the PV module ID to the inverter. The inverter may obtain the PV module ID from the ID tag upon initial activation of the inverter, such as during commissioning of the DG or when replacing an existing inverter and/or PV module. In some embodiments, the inverter may obtain the PV module ID from the ID tag on a periodic basis, where the periodicity may be set by a user or predefined; additionally or alternatively, the inverter may obtain the PV module ID following daily activation of the inverter once sufficient solar energy is provided to operate the inverter, for example subsequent to sunrise. 
     In some embodiments, the inverter may store the obtained PV module ID within its memory; additionally or alternatively, the inverter memory may store a unique ID for the inverter, such as a serial number. 
     The method  500  proceeds to step  506 . At step  506 , the inverter communicates the PV module ID to the controller, for example, via PLC. The inverter may additionally communicate the inverter ID and/or an association between the PV module ID and the inverter ID (i.e., an indication that a particular PV module is coupled to a particular inverter) to the controller. In some embodiments, the inverter may actively transmit the PV module ID, inverter ID, and/or the ID association to the controller; alternatively, the controller may retrieve some or all of such ID information from the inverter. In one or more alternative embodiments, the inverter may communicate with the controller through other types of wired communications and/or wireless communication. The method  500  then proceeds to step  508  where it ends. 
       FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method  600  for managing ID information at a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment described below, a DG comprises a plurality of PV modules coupled to a plurality of inverters in a one-to-one correspondence for inverting DC power from the PV modules to AC power (e.g., the PV modules  104  coupled to the inverters  106  within the DGs  102 ); in some alternative embodiments, each inverter may be coupled to multiple PV modules, or the plurality of PV modules may be coupled to a single centralized inverter for inverting the DC power. A controller (e.g., the controller  108 ) is coupled to the inverters for managing the inverters, and a master controller (e.g., the master controller  114 ) is communicatively coupled to the controller via a communications network for managing the DG. In some alternative embodiments, the DG may comprise other types of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind farms, hydroelectric systems, or the like), and one or more inverters are coupled to such energy sources for inverting DC power from the energy sources to AC power. 
     As previously described with respect to the method  500 , each inverter obtains a unique PV module ID identifying the PV module to which it is coupled; additionally, each inverter may store a unique inverter ID and/or ID association information within its memory. In one or more alternative embodiments where the DG comprises other types of renewable energy sources, the inverter may obtain unique IDs for one or more components of such renewable energy sources, for example, from ID tags coupled to the components. 
     The method  600  begins at step  602  and proceeds to step  604 , where the controller obtains ID information from the inverters. The controller may obtain the ID information when the inverters are initially activated, for example during commissioning of the DG or when one or more inverters and/or PV modules are replaced within the DG. In some embodiments, the controller may obtain the ID information on a periodic basis, where the periodicity may be set by a user or predefined; additionally or alternatively, the controller may obtain the ID information following daily activation of the inverters once sufficient solar energy is provided to operate the inverters, for example subsequent to sunrise. 
     The ID information comprises IDs that uniquely identifies components of the DG, such as the PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs. Additionally, the ID information may comprise ID associations indicating relationships between the PV modules and the inverters (i.e., which PV modules are coupled to which inverters). In some embodiments, the controller may receive the PV module IDs and inverter IDs and generate the associations between the corresponding IDs. The controller may also associate the PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs with a unique controller ID stored within its memory, and the controller may store some of all of the ID information within its memory. In some alternative embodiments, the controller may obtain the PV module IDs directly from, for example, ID tags coupled to the PV modules. 
     The method  600  proceeds to step  606 . At step  606 , the controller communicates at least a portion of the ID information (e.g., PV module IDs, inverter IDs, the controller&#39;s ID, associations between IDs) to the master controller, for example utilizing wired or wireless communication techniques as previously described; in some embodiments, the master controller may retrieve the ID information from the controller. The controller may communicate the ID information to the master controller upon initial activation, for example during commissioning of the DG, when one or more components of the DG are replaced, on demand, periodically (e.g., upon daily activation of the inverters following sunrise), and/or based on a set schedule. The method  600  then proceeds to step  608  where it ends. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of a method  700  for identifying components redeployed within a solar power system without authorization in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment described below, a master controller is communicatively coupled to a plurality of DGs within a solar power system (e.g., the master controller  114  coupled to the DGs  102  within the solar power system  100 ). Each DG comprises a plurality of PV modules coupled to a plurality of inverters in a one-to-one correspondence for inverting DC power from the PV modules to AC power; in one or more alternative embodiments, one or more inverters may be coupled to multiple PV modules, and/or one or more DGs may each comprise a single centralized inverter coupled to the plurality of PV modules for inverting the DC power. Within each DG, the inverters are coupled to a controller, for example via PLC, for managing the inverters. The controller is further communicatively coupled to the master controller (via a communications network utilizing wireless and/or wired techniques) for managing the corresponding DG. The controllers obtain ID information pertaining to the corresponding DGs, as previously described with respect to the method  600 . 
     In some alternative embodiments, one or more of the DGs may comprise other types of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind farms, hydroelectric systems, or the like), where one or more inverters are coupled to such energy sources for inverting DC power from the energy sources to AC power. In such embodiments, the inverters may obtain unique IDs for one or more components of such renewable energy sources, for example, from ID tags coupled to the components. 
     The method  700  begins at step  702  and proceeds to step  704 , where the master controller receives ID information from a controller within the solar power system. The controller may provide the ID information to the master controller when the controller is initially activated (e.g., during commissioning of a DG) or when the controller obtains the ID information (e.g., when a PV module is replaced within a DG); alternatively, the controller may periodically provide ID information to the master controller and/or the master controller may periodically query the controller for the ID information. One or both of such periodicities may be defined by a user or may be predetermined. Additionally or alternatively, the master controller may obtain the ID information on demand by a user. 
     The ID information pertains to one or more components within one or more DGs, and may comprise PV module IDs, inverter IDs, and/or controller IDs, as well as ID associations identifying relationships between the components (e.g., which PV modules are coupled to which inverters, which PV modules and/or inverters are coupled to which controllers, and the like). In some alternative embodiments, the master controller may obtain PV module IDs directly from, for example, ID tags coupled to the PV modules, or the master controller may obtain PV module IDs directly from the corresponding inverters. Additionally or alternatively, the master controller may obtain inverter IDs directly from the inverters. 
     The method  700  proceeds to step  706 . At step  706 , the master controller analyzes the received ID associations; i.e., the master controller compares the received ID associations with ID associations for the solar power system that were previously recorded, for example, in a component tracking database. Such a component tracking database may reside within a memory of the master controller. In some embodiments, the master controller may associate PV module IDs and/or inverter IDs for a particular DG with a controller ID of the corresponding controller and then compare the associations with the recorded ID associations. 
     At step  708 , the master controller determines whether any ID mismatches exist; i.e., whether any of the received ID associations have changed from the previously recorded ID associations (e.g., a PV module ID associated with a different inverter ID than that which was previously recorded, a PV module ID/inverter ID pair associated with a different controller ID than that which was previously recorded, and the like). Such ID mismatches (i.e., changes in the ID associations) indicate that the corresponding components had previously been removed without authorization from one DG of the solar power system and redeployed within another DG of the solar power system. 
     In some embodiments, an ID and/or an association between IDs may include an indicia for indicating when the corresponding components are actually legitimately redeployed within the solar power system (e.g., sold from one DG owner to another) and, therefore, changes in the ID associations should not be considered to indicate that the components have been redeployed without authorization. 
     If, at step  708 , the master controller determines that no ID mismatches exist (i.e., no changes in the ID associations), the method  700  proceeds to step  710 , where the received ID information is stored within the component tracking database. If, at step  708 , one or more ID mismatches (i.e., changes in the ID associations) are found to exist, the method  700  proceeds to step  712 . At step  712 , the master controller locks out power production from components corresponding to the mismatched IDs. For example, the master controller may issue commands to specific inverters via the corresponding controller to inhibit power production when the associated PV modules are found to have ID mismatches. 
     At step  714 , the master controller determines the current location of the redeployed components, for example by utilizing the IP address of the corresponding controller to identify the DG in which the redeployed components have appeared. In some embodiments, the master controller may additionally provide notification to the appropriate authorities or a DG user (e.g., the DG owner), for example via the communications network. 
     At step  716 , the master controller determines whether any of the received ID information is valid (i.e., no ID mismatches) and, if not previously recorded, should therefore be added to the component tracking database. For example, when a new DG is commissioned, the master controller may receive ID information for each component within the DG, such as ID associations between each inverter and its corresponding PV module. The master controller may determine that one or more of such ID associations have ID mismatches, while the remaining ID associations do not and are therefore valid. If, at step  716 , the master controller determines that a portion of the received ID information is valid, the method  700  proceeds to step  710 , where the valid ID information is stored within the component tracking database. The method  700  then proceeds to step  718  where it ends. If, at step  716 , the master controller determines that none of the newly received ID information is valid, the method  700  proceeds to step  718  where it ends. 
     While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.