FRONIUS DYNAMIC PEAK MANAGER – INTELLIGENT SHADE MANAGEMENT

When the sun is shining, solar panels converter sunlight into DC (direct current) electricity. The inverter converts the DC electricity into AC (alternative current) power for use in the home/commercial property.

Solar panels need sun to produce to their optimal capabilities and should be as unshaded as possible all year round to deliver high yields. However, the environment may change over time, resulting in partial shading of the PV modules. New buildings or construction elements such as chimneys, dormer windows, power cables or growing trees could be responsible for this.

This kind of shading has a negative impact on the yield of a photovoltaic system and should not be underestimated.

The solution is Fronius's intelligent shade management, which is integrated into the inverter and can reduce yield losses to a minimum.

The Dynamic Peak Manager is a shade management solution that is integrated into the inverter and maximises the yield of a photovoltaic system despite shading – and all without installing additional components.

With Fronius Dynamic Peak Manager, you can always bring out the best even when there is partial shading. This highly efficient MPP tracking algorithm detects any shade and optimises the yield at the string level.

How does it work?

The Dynamic Peak Manager is a highly efficient shade-tolerant algorithm, which analyses the entire P-U characteristic curve at regular intervals.

This means that the Dynamic Peak Manager always finds the global Maximum Power Point (GMPP).

HIGHER YIELD DESPITE SHADING OF PV SYSTEMS IN PRACTICE

Photovoltaic system size: 3.3 kWp
Orientation: South-west
Tilt angle: 19.5°
Shadow: Partially shaded

On a sunny day, the yield of this system complete with the Fronius Dynamic Peak Manager is 7% higher than it is for systems without shade management.

DC power optimisers adjust the voltage of shaded PV modules by boosting or decreasing it. The component requires energy to do this.

The more shade there is, the higher the consumption of the optimiser, and the lower the efficiency. This means, especially in partial shading situations, that power optimisers often cannot compensate for the shade, so they do not generate a higher yield.

Another disadvantage of DC-optimised systems is the large number of components on the roof.

Each power optimiser sits directly behind the PV module on the roof and is therefore continuously exposed to heat, cold, rain and snow. This is bad for the sensitive power electronics and can have repercussions for servicing and the fire risk.

The number of defects in DC plug connections, which represent the main source of photovoltaic system problems, is tripled in DC-optimised systems.

Conclusion:

Using DC power optimisers provides no added economic value. Instead, the risk of system failure increases, which results in additional costs due to greater service requirements.

Over the years, the false belief that a shaded PV module also limits the power of all other PV modules in the same string has become established in many peoples’ minds.

But the cells in PV modules are usually combined with three so-called bypass diodes. If the PV module is in shadow, the diode becomes conductive and the affected part of the module is bypassed. The other PV modules, however, continue to perform at full power.