Solar photovoltaic systems

1. A solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation system comprising:

a plurality of solar PV panels, each comprising a dc output for delivering dc power;

a plurality of power conditioning units, each comprising (1) a dc power input that is coupled to the dc output of a corresponding solar PV panel of the plurality of solar PV panels and (2) an ac mains power supply output for delivering an ac mains supply;

a dc power distribution bus that is coupled to (1) each of the plurality of solar PV panels through a first switch for receiving dc power from the solar PV panel and (2) each of the plurality of power conditioning units through a second switch for distributing the received dc power to the power conditioning unit; and

a plurality of power distribution controllers that are each coupled to a corresponding power conditioning unit, wherein each power distribution controller is configured to control the second switch of the corresponding power conditioning unit for receiving dc power from the dc power distribution bus,

wherein each of the plurality of power distribution controllers comprises a fault detector that is configured to detect a faulty power conditioning unit, wherein, in response to detecting the faulty power conditioning unit, the power distribution controller is further configured to distribute the dc power from the dc output of the solar PV panel coupled to the faulty power conditioning unit to other power conditioning units of the plurality of power conditioning units via the dc distribution bus.

2. The solar PV power generation system of claim 1 ,

wherein a first solar PV panel of the plurality of solar PV panels is coupled to a first power conditioning unit of the plurality of power conditioning units, and wherein the first power conditioning unit is coupled to a first power distribution controller of the plurality of power distribution controllers;

wherein the first solar PV panel is coupled to the dc distribution bus through the first switch, and

wherein, when a fault detector of the first power distribution controller detects a faulty first power conditioning unit, the first power distribution controller is configured to close the first switch in order to couple the first solar PV panel to the dc distribution bus.

3. The solar PV power generation system of claim 2 ,

wherein at least one other power conditioning unit's corresponding power distribution controller is configured to close its respective second switch to couple the dc distribution bus to each of the at least one other power conditioning unit responsive to sensing a fault in the first power conditioning unit.

4. The solar PV power generation system of claim 3 , wherein the sensing comprises detecting a signal on the dc distribution bus.

5. The solar PV power generation system of claim 4 , wherein the sensing comprises sensing a dc voltage on the dc distribution bus.

6. The solar PV power generation system of claim 3 , wherein the first power distribution controller comprises a communications output configured to transmit fault data signaling the faulty first power conditioning unit, and wherein the sensing comprises detecting the fault data.

7. The solar PV power generation system of claim 6 , wherein transmitting fault data comprises broadcasting the fault data to the at least one other power conditioning unit's corresponding power distribution controller.

8. The solar PV power generation system of claim 7 , wherein transmitting fault data comprises first transmitting the fault data to a central controller and then transmitting the fault data to the at least one other power conditioning unit's corresponding power distribution controller using the central controller.

9. The solar PV power generation system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of power distribution controllers each comprises an RF transceiver and the transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting the fault data.

10. The solar PV power generation system of claim 2 , wherein the first solar PV panel is coupled to the first power conditioning unit via a third switch, and

wherein the first power distribution controller is configured to open the third switch in order to disconnect the first solar PV panel from the first power conditioning unit responsive to the fault detector in the first power distribution controller detecting the faulty first power conditioning unit.

11. The solar PV power generation system of claim 10 , wherein the fault detector in the first power conditioning unit comprises a short-circuit detector.

12. The solar PV power generation system of claim 1 , wherein a first solar PV panel of the plurality of solar PV panels is coupled to a first power conditioning unit of the plurality of power conditioning units, wherein the first power conditioning unit is coupled to a first power distribution controller of the plurality of power distribution controllers, and wherein the first solar PV panel is coupled to the dc distribution bus via a diode.

13. A fault tolerant solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation system comprising:

a plurality of solar PV conversion units configured to harvest solar energy, each solar PV conversion unit comprising:

a solar PV panel comprising a dc output for delivering dc power;

a power conditioning unit comprising (1) a dc power input coupled to the dc output of the solar PV panel and (2) an ac mains power supply output for delivering an ac mains supply, wherein the dc power input of the power conditioning unit is coupled to the dc output of the solar PV panel via a first switch of the PV conversion unit; and

a power distribution controller configured to control distribution of the dc power from the solar PV panel, wherein the power distribution controller is coupled to the dc output of the solar PV panel;

a dc power distribution bus that is coupled to (1) each solar PV panel through a second switch of the corresponding PV conversion unit for accepting dc power from the solar PV panel and (2) each power conditioning unit through a third switch of the corresponding PV conversion unit, wherein the dc power distribution bus is configured to share dc power between the plurality of solar PV conversion units.

14. The fault tolerant solar PV power generation system of claim 13 , wherein each power distribution controller of the plurality of solar PV conversion units comprises at least one of:

a fault detector configured to detect a fault in the power conditioning unit, wherein, when a fault is detected by the fault detector, the power distribution controller is configured to close the second switch in order to connect the solar PV panel to the dc power distribution bus; and

a dc sense circuit configured to detect a dc voltage on the dc power distribution bus, wherein, when a dc voltage is detected by the dc sense circuit, the power distribution controller is configured to close the third switch in order to connect the dc power distribution bus to the power conditioning unit.

15. The fault tolerant solar PV power generation system of claim 14 , wherein the fault detector comprises a short circuit detector configured to detect a short circuit in the power conditioning unit, and

wherein, when the short circuit detector of the power distribution controller detects a short circuit, the power distribution controller is configured to open the first switch in order to disconnect the dc power output of the solar PV panel from the dc input of the power conditioning unit.

16. The fault tolerant solar PV power generation system of claim 14 , wherein, when the dc sense circuit of the power distribution controller detects a dc voltage on the dc power distribution bus, the power distribution controller is configured to keep the first switch closed in order for the power conditioning unit to capture dc power from the dc power distribution bus and the solar PV panel.

17. A method for distributing dc power to a plurality of power conditioning units through a dc distribution bus, the method comprising:

at each of the plurality of power conditioning units, receiving dc power from a corresponding solar photovoltaic PV panel, each power conditioning unit coupled to (1) the dc distribution bus through a first switch, (2) the corresponding solar photovoltaic (PV) panel through a second switch, and (3) a corresponding power distribution controller, wherein each solar PV panel is coupled to the dc distribution bus through a third switch;

detecting a faulty power conditioning unit of the plurality of power conditioning units with the corresponding power distribution controller; and

diverting the dc power of the faulty power conditioning unit's corresponding solar PV panel by (1) opening the second switch of the faulty power conditioning unit's corresponding solar PV panel and (2) closing the third switch of the corresponding solar PV panel to share dc power from the solar PV panel with a set of power conditioning units of the plurality of power conditioning units.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein diverting the dc power of the faulty power conditioning unit's corresponding solar PV panel further comprises opening the first switch that connects the faulty power conditioning unit to the dc distribution bus.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises, for each power conditioning unit of the set of power conditioning units, closing the first switch in order to receive dc power from at least the faulty power conditioning unit's corresponding solar PV panel through the dc distribution bus.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein detecting a faulty power conditioning unit comprises detecting a short circuit in the faulty power conditioning unit.