Granted Patent B2

US 9,991,842 · App. 15/057,955 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of solar modules connected in a string bus, wherein a first solar module in the plurality of solar modules is connected to the string bus via a discharge controller; and

during production of electricity by the solar modules on the string bus, operating the discharge controller of the first solar module to remove an electric field buildup on the first solar module, by

disconnecting, using the discharge controller, solar cells of the first solar module from the string bus for a period of time during the production of electricity on the string bus;

connecting, using the discharge controller, the solar cells of the first solar module to a frame of the solar module during the period of time; and

connecting, using the discharge controller, the solar cells of the solar module to ground during the period of time; and

after the period of time, operating the discharge controller of the first solar module to provide electricity produced by the first solar module onto the string bus, by

disconnecting, using the discharge controller, the solar cells of the first solar module from the frame and from the ground; and

connecting, using the discharge controller, the first solar module to the string bus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating of the discharge controller to remove the electric field buildup includes:

providing, by the discharge controller, a path bypassing the first solar module in the string bus.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing of the path bypassing the first solar module in the string bus includes:

connecting a positive terminal of the discharge controller to a negative terminal of discharge controller, wherein the positive terminal and the negative terminal of discharge controller connects the discharge controller in series in the string bus.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

during the time period in which the discharge controller is operated to remove the electric field buildup, increasing a voltage potential between the frame of the first solar module and the solar cells of the first solar module.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

during the time period in which the discharge controller is operated to remove the electric field buildup, creating a negative voltage potential between the frame of the solar module and the solar cells of the solar module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ground is connected to the frame of the first solar module.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discharge controller of the first solar module is periodically operated to remove an electric field buildup during the production of electricity by the solar modules on the string bus.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the period of time is in an order of ten milliseconds.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein after the period of time, operating the discharge controller of the first solar module to provide electricity produced by the first solar module onto the string bus for a period in an order of 10 seconds, before repeating the operating of the discharge controller of the first solar module to remove an electric field buildup on the first solar module.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period is such that loss of power generated by the first solar module due to the operating of the discharge controller to remove the electric field buildup on the first solar module is less than loss of power due to the electric field buildup during the operating of the discharge controller of the first solar module to provide electricity produced by the first solar module onto the string bus.

Assignments (10)