Parallel and virtual parallel interconnection of solar cells in solar panels

US7521630B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventor

• Newton E. Ball · San Diego, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 1, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 21, 2009
• Expiry date: Apr 25, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S136/293

Abstract

A solar panel has n rows of solar cells in a regular grid array. The cells constituting each row are wired in parallel, the rows are wired in series and an equalizing network of n-1 capacitors are connected in electrical series. In a first configuration, a network of switches connects a first capacitor across the first row, and a second capacitor across the second row, and so on until the n-1th capacitor is connected across the cells of the n-1th row. In a second configuration, the switch network connects the first capacitor across the second row, and the second capacitor across the third row, and so on until the n-1th capacitor is connected across the nth row. This causes the voltage across each row to be substantially equal to the voltage across every other row. Since equal voltage is a hallmark of parallel connection, this voltage equalized series connection is referred to as a virtual parallel connection.