AC Distribution System with Small Photovoltaic Cells for the Windows of Buildings

Abstract

With the number of buildings under construction constantly increasing, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems are gradually playing a dominant role in harvesting energy to improve energy supply. Moreover, there are several advanced BIPV systems that have been invented and utilised in recent years, including low-cost, but extremely electrically efficient transparent PV modules. However, the replacement of original glass windows is still a considerable project. Instead of installing solar cells on rooftops, a variety of solar panels, or different types of power electronic systems, our study focuses on the existing glass windows of high-rise buildings and proposes the design of an AC generation system that comprises small PV modules attached to several windows of a building, a simplified DC-DC converter, and a grid-connected inverter operating through deadbeat control. The characteristics of the proposed system can be clarified using simulation results.