Kripya’s solar energy dual mode micro-inverter that also works without grid power
The micro-inverter market is turning into a pretty competitive place. The introduction of micro-inverters marks one of the biggest technology shifts in the PV industry to date. Since your solar panels generate DC (direct current), we need some kind of device to convert DC into AC (alternating current), in order to power your electrical appliances (without burning down your house!). This is where the solar inverter comes in.
Inverters also enable us to switch off all electrical current in the case of a blackout or if repair is needed. This is of course also useful for maintenance, troubleshooting and system upgrade as well.
One of the serious limitations of the on-grid solar plants is the inability to generate electricity because of the absence of grid power. On-grid solar plants that have no batteries and depend on the grid power for conversion of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) fail to generate electricity in case of power cuts. The Kripya dual mode micro-inverter is set to change all that whether there is grid power or not.
Photo: Jyoti Ramalingam (The Hindu)
To facilitate easy adoption of solar energy by everyone irrespective of their geographic location and economic status, the Kripya team has developed the Dual Mode Micro-inverter (patent pending) combining innovation, technology, social and environmental consciousness.
Advantages of Kripya’s Dual Mode Micro-inverter
Traditional micro-inverters require a grid connection for operation. In many markets, this is a serious limitation due to grid unreliability or lack of grid access.
The dual-mode micro-inverter is able to detect the availability of grid power. In grid mode, it augments grid power and feeds excess power back to the grid. In off-grid mode, the inverter continues to operate and support the local load but stops feeding the grid. The micro-inverter is capable of dynamically detecting and switching to the appropriate mode.
As published in The Hindu, V.G. Veeraraghavan, Managing Partner, Kripya, said at present photo-voltaic (PV) panels in the solar plant in India are linked to one inverter called string inverter, which converts DC to AC with the help of grid power. But Kripya dual mode micro-inverter is a breakthrough technology, which when installed in each solar panel, would harness electricity without any grid-power backup.
As the technology is of dual-mode — both on-grid and off-grid — it augments and feeds excess power back to the grid even in case of power cuts, which is not the case in the present technology. In off-grid mode (with batteries), the inverter continues to operate and support the local load but stops feeding the grid, he added.
Mr. Veeraraghavan said the company had applied for a patent in India and the U.S. and the technology, which was going through the testing process, would very soon be available in the market. He said the company was in talks with big solar companies in the country to install the technology in their solar plants. (Source: The Hindu)
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