User configurable electrical subpanel system with back feed prevention
View Patent ↗In various embodiments, an electrical subpanel system is disclosed. The subpanel system may include a DC/AC inverter configured to accept a DC electrical input and to provide an auxiliary AC current output; a quick-disconnect coupling, a busbar connected between the auxiliary AC current output and the quick-disconnect coupling, a receptacle for connecting to at least one electrical device coupled in parallel to said busbar, where the quick-disconnect coupling may be configured to be selectively connected to a mains branch circuit current.
1. An electrical subpanel system, comprising:
a DC/AC inverter configured to accept a DC electrical input and to provide an auxiliary AC current output;
a quick-disconnect coupling;
a busbar connecting the auxiliary AC current output and the quick-disconnect coupling;
a receptacle for connecting at least one electrical device coupled to said busbar; and
wherein the quick-disconnect coupling is configured to be connected to a mains branch circuit current,
a branch circuit current limiting device interposed between the quick-disconnect coupling and the mains branch circuit current,
wherein the branch circuit current limiting device is provided within a mains electrical panel,
the mains electrical panel comprising:
a main panel busbar; and
a mains current supply,
wherein said main panel busbar is connected to the branch circuit current limiting device.
2. The electrical subpanel system of claim 1 , further comprising: a receptacle current limiting device connected between said busbar and said receptacle.
3. The electrical subpanel system of claim 2 , wherein the inverter is hard-wired to the busbar.
4. The electrical subpanel system of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of mains branch circuits; wherein each of the said plurality of mains branch circuits includes the branch circuit current limiting device interposed between a quick-disconnect coupling and the mains branch circuit current.
5. The electrical subpanel system of claim 1 , wherein the busbar is configured to conduct an electrical current, i Total , where i Total is defined by the relation (i Total =i Mains +i Aux ) and i Mains is the mains branch circuit current and i Aux is the current output by the inverter.
6. The electrical subpanel system of claim 5 , wherein the current i Total is less than or equal to 30 amps.
7. The electrical subpanel system of claim 1 , wherein the DC electrical input to the inverter is supplied by a primary power source.
8. The electrical subpanel system of claim 7 , wherein the primary power source is at least one of a photovoltaic system, a wind turbine, a geothermal system, a hydrogen fuel cell, a biofuel system, and a tidal energy system.
9. The electrical subpanel system of claim 7 , wherein the DC electrical input to the inverter is supplied by a secondary power source.
10. The electrical subpanel system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to match the maximum voltage of the branch circuit to which it is connected.
11. An electrical subpanel system, comprising:
an electrical input configured to accept an auxiliary AC current;
a quick-disconnect coupling;
a busbar connecting the electrical input and the quick-disconnect coupling;
a receptacle for connecting at least one electrical device coupled to said busbar; and
wherein the quick-disconnect coupling is configured to be connected to a mains branch circuit current,
a branch circuit current limiting device interposed between the quick-disconnect coupling and the mains branch circuit current,
wherein the branch circuit current limiting device is provided within a mains electrical panel, the mains electrical panel comprising:
a main panel busbar; and
a mains current supply,
wherein said main panel busbar is connected to the branch circuit current limiting device.
12. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , further comprising:
at least one solar panel;
a DC/AC inverter connected to an output of the solar panel and configured to accept a DC electrical input from said solar panel and to provide the auxiliary AC current; and
at least one backfeed measurement circuit;
wherein the electrical subpanel system is configured to be electrically coupled to a dedicated branch circuit of a mains circuit such that a maximum current rating for said dedicated branch circuit is not exceeded.
13. The electrical subpanel system of claim 12 , further comprising: a backfeed controller connected to the backfeed measurement circuit; wherein the backfeed measurement circuit is coupled to the mains branch circuit.
14. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , further comprising: a receptacle current limiting device connected between said busbar and said receptacle.
15. The electrical subpanel system of claim 14 , wherein the inverter is hard-wired to the busbar.
16. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , wherein the backfeed measurement circuit enables a net-metering configuration.
17. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , wherein the net system backfeed to a utility tie-in is controlled to be zero.
18. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , wherein the busbar is configured to conduct an electrical current, i Total , where i Total is defined by the relation (i Total =i Mains +i Aux ) and i Mains is the mains branch circuit current and i Aux is the current output by the inverter.
19. The electrical subpanel system of claim 18 , wherein the current i Total is less than or equal to 30 amps.
20. The electrical subpanel system of claim 11 , wherein the DC electrical input to the inverter is supplied by a primary power source.
21. The electrical subpanel system of claim 20 , wherein the primary power source is at least one of a photovoltaic system, a wind turbine, a geothermal system, a hydrogen fuel cell, a biofuel system, and a tidal energy system.
22. The electrical subpanel system of claim 20 , wherein the DC electrical input to the inverter is supplied by a secondary power source.
23. The electrical subpanel system of claim 20 , wherein the secondary power source is an electrical energy storage system.