Solar bypass switches

28 November 2012 Power Electronics / Power Management

STMicroelectronics has introduced its latest generation of high-efficiency cool bypass switches for photovoltaic modules, enabling a higher percentage of harvested energy to reach end users and further reducing the cost per Watt of renewable energy.

The devices combine efficient power switching and intelligent control in a single chip, to compensate for the variable effects of hotspots and shadows on the solar panel surface. The new devices can save up to 1% of the energy produced and normally lost through conventional bypass diodes.

ST’s latest cool bypass devices feature new technology and control techniques that minimise energy losses in all operating modes, by ensuring the integrated power switch has ultra-low leakage current when turned off and very low voltage drop when turned on.

Thanks to the reduced power losses, a further advantage of these devices is a reduction in typical operating temperature, leading to increased reliability and longer lifetime.

The SPV1512 and SPV1520 are rated for ­operation up to 12 V and 20 V respectively. Other voltage options (up to 120 V) will be introduced in industry-standard D2PAK and TO-220AC packages.

The SPV1512 is available in a 5 x 6 x 0,75 mm VFQFPN package, which enables the bypass circuitry to be laminated on the back of each solar panel. This simplifies design and installation by eliminating large numbers of junction boxes and interconnects, and can reduce the cost of each panel by around 5%.

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