Prof. Ersan KABALCI

Nevsehir University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Electrical  and Electronics Engineering

Title：Solar Inverter Topologies and Control Methods in Residential PV Power Conversion

Abstract：The grid-connected solar inverters are the key devices interfacing solar power plant with utility and play crucial role in residential PV applications. Although three-phase inverters were industry standard in large photovoltaic (PV) power plant applications, the microgrid regulations increased the use of single-phase inverters in residential power plants and grid interconnection. This speech presents a detailed review on single-phase grid-connected solar inverters in terms of their improvements in circuit topologies and control methods. The content provides a differentiating approach by focusing on novel circuit topologies and control methods of string and micro inverters. The single and multi-stage solar inverters are reviewed in terms of emerging DC-DC converter and unfolding inverter topologies while the novel control methods of both stages will be presented in a comprehensive manner. The isolated and transformerless circuit topologies have been investigated by experimental and commercial devices. The soft computing, evolutionary and swarm intelligence-based algorithms will also be summarized in MPPT methods section while current injection and grid-connection control methods of unfolding inverters stage are presented with and without PLL architecture. 

Brief introduction

Prof. Dr. Ersan Kabalci (M’09, SM’18), received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electronics and Computer Education from Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey, in 2003 and in 2006 respectively. He received the Ph.D. degree from Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey, in 2010 with the thesis on implementing an enhanced modulation scheme for multilevel inverters. From 2005 to 2007, he was with Gazi University as a lecturer. He is currently with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department since 2010 where he became an Assistant Professor in 2011; an Associate Professor on power electronics and drives in 2013; and full professor in 2019. 

Professor Kabalci is Associate Editor of several international indexed journal on Power Electronics and Renewable energy sources. His current research interests include power electronic applications and drives for renewable energy sources, microgrids, distributed generation, power line communication, and smart grid applications. He is an IEEE Member since 2009, and senior-member since 2018