Low Voltage Direct Current Supplies Concept for Residential Applications

Abstract

Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) Photovoltaic (PV) systems are considered suitable solutions for increasing the capacity of existing LV networks. They provide a good power quality, renewable energy source compatibility, and simple integration with batteries. This paper compares the proposed LVDC supply concept with existing traditional PV systems regarding energy efficiency. The proposed LVDC Photovoltaic System was realized. The results obtained from this study revealed that using the LVDC system supply concept, instead of Low Voltage Alternative Current (LVAC) ones, is very interesting if the PV-generated electricity is used locally during day hours. To achieve a high PV system efficiency, the PV power installed in the houses should be accurately sized regarding the consumed energy. The shorted path taken by the PV-generated power to feed load during daytime is the main advantage of the proposed LVDC architecture.