Implementation of a Voltage Control Method for a Grid-Connected Inverter in Power Flow Regulation of Solar PV

The increasing demand for renewable energy sources has created an urgent need to effectively integrate solar photovoltaic (PV) panels into the electrical grid. The voltage generated by solar panels is greatly influenced by solar radiation. When solar panels are connected to the grid, control equipment is needed to adjust the voltage levels and modify the waveform, in order to meet the requirements of system synchronization and power delivery from the solar panels to the grid. This study proposes a voltage control to regulate the power flow of grid-connected solar PV panels. The utilizes a buck-boost converter, which allows for the adjustment of the inverter's output voltage. Several experiments were conducted to verify effectiveness. Initially, the phase difference between the inverter's output voltage and the grid voltage remained constant at 0 degrees. As the voltage was varied, the results showed that higher inverter output voltage values resulted in higher active power injection into the grid, while reactive power tended to decrease. The study found that reactive power flow was more dominant than active power flow into the grid. Consequently, the developed inverter can be referred to as a VAR Inverter, as it supports reactive power. This proposed voltage control provides an alternative approach to improve the stability and performance of grid-connected inverters in the context of solar PV panel integration. These enhancements are crucial for reducing reliance on conventional electrical energy sources and furthering the development of renewable energy solutions.