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Optimizing Array Voltage for Battery-

Issue3.3,Apr/May'10(/printissue/aprilmay2010)

Based Systems
By:JimGoodnight(/Profile/JimGoodnight)

Design&Installation(/designinstallation) m Email o Share d Print

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OptimizingArrayVoltageforBatteryBasedSystems

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ArrayVoltageConsiderations(/articles/designinstallation/arrayvoltageconsiderations)

Beforetheadventofmodernmaximumpowerpointtracking(MPPT)photovoltaiccontrollers,configuringaPV
arrayforagivenbatterybanksnominalvoltagewasafairlysimpleexercise.Olderseriestypepulsewidth
modulationchargecontrollershadasimple1:1relationshipwiththebatterybank.Forexample,a12Vdc
nominalmoduleoperatingatapproximately17Vmpcouldbeusedtochargea12Vdcnominalfloodedcell
leadacid(FLA)battery,whichtypicallyrequiresabout14.4Vduringtheabsorptioncycleandabout15Vfor
equalizationcharging.Becauseofthissimplerelationship,arrayvoltagereceivedminimalconcernduringthe

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designstage,otherthancorrectlysizingthePVtocontrollerwiringtominimizevoltagedrop.Similarly,
calculatingmaximumcircuitcurrenttospecifythePVcontrollerandovercurrentprotectiondeviceswasfairly
straightforward.

Withtodaysmoreadvancedchargecontrollertechnology,MPPTcontrollersaretheindustrystandard.They
offersignificantadvantagesovernonMPPTcontrollers,includingoptimizedenergyharvestandtheoptionto
configurethearrayathighervoltagesthanthenominalbatteryvoltage.MostMPPTcontrollershavedctodc
voltagestepdownfunctionality,whichallowsyoutouseahighvoltagearrayforlowvoltagebatterycharging.
Thebenefitsofhigherarrayvoltagesincludelowerarraycurrents,reducedpowerlossinthehomerunwiring,
reducedconduitsizeandcost,andtheoptiontolocatethearrayfartherfromthebatterypacktominimizeany
potentialshadingissues.Installersalwaysprefersmallergaugeconductors,becausetheyareeasiertowork
with.

Bynatureoftheiroperation,MPPTcontrollersdeliverimprovedsystemperformanceandcanreducecopper
costswhencomparedtononMPPTcontrollers.However,foroptimalperformance,theyalsopresentgreater
systemdesigncomplexity.Factorsthatmustbeconsideredduringthedesignphaseincludebatterycharging
voltagerequirements,theuseofhighvoltagearrays,theevolvingrequirementsoftheNationalElectrical
Code,theimpactofasitesannualambienttemperaturerangeonarrayvoltageandthecharacteristicsofthe
modulesspecified.

Atabatteryreferencetemperatureof25C(77F),a48VdcnominalFLAbatterybanktypicallyrequiresnet
chargingvoltagesofapproximately59Vdcfortheabsorptionstageand62Vdcfortheequalizationstage.
MPPTcontrollerstypicallyhavetemperatureadjustedoperationallimitsbetween140Vdcand145Vdc,with
absolutevoltagelimitsof150V.Inaddition,mostreadilyavailablecircuitbreakersusedindcapplications
carrya150Vdcrating.Atfirstglance,the91voltspanbetween59Vdcand150Vdcmayseemfairlylarge,
butoperationalandNECconsiderationsshrinkthatrangeintoafairlynarrowsweetspotinshortorder.
Consider,forinstance,arelativelyextremeexamplewherethearraywillbeoperatinginanenvironmentthat
isveryhotinthesummerandverycoldinthewinter.

AkeyoperationaltraitofthedctodcbucktypeconverterusedinmanyMPPTcontrollersisthattheoutput
voltageisalwayslowerthantheinputvoltagea2Vdcdropiscommon.Combinethislosswithanother2Vdc
dropintheconductorsbetweenthearrayandthebattery,andthearraysoperationalmaximumpowerpoint
voltagemustalwaysbeabout4Vhigherthanabatterybankstargetchargingvoltages.

Inaddition,amodulesmaximumpowervoltage(Vmp)atSTCisbasedonanilluminatedcelltemperatureof
25Cinalaboratoryenvironment.BecausePVcellsandmodulesfrequentlyoperateatapproximately25Cto
35Caboveambienttemperature,aPVmodulereallycannotbeexpectedtoproducefullratedpowerunless
theambienttemperatureisapproximately10C.Amodulestemperaturerelatedpowervarianceis
manifestedprimarilyasachangeinoutputvoltage.Forcrystallinemodules,atypicalopencircuitvoltage
temperaturecoefficientis0.35%/C.Themodulesvoltagedropsasthecelltemperatureincreases.Inmany
locations,itisnotuncommonforcelltemperaturetoreach65Corhigheratmiddayinthesummer(30Cto
35Cambientplus30Cto35Ccelltemperatureriseaboveambient).Inthiscase,theactualcell

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temperaturewillbeabout40Cabovethe25CSTCtemperature.Withtheseassumptions,theresulting
voltagedroppercentageduetoelevatedcelltemperatureis:40Cx0.35%/C=14%.

Inthisexample,thearraysoperationalvoltageisabout86%oftheSTCspecifications(100%14%).Put
anotherway,thearraysSTCVmpspecificationneedstobe116%oftheestimatedminimumoperational
voltagerequired.Withthispercentageinhand,youcannowspecifythearraysminimumvoltageatSTC:(59
V(minimumtargetbatteryvoltage)+4V(lossinCCandwiring))x116%=73V.

Whileamodulesvoltagedropswhenthecelltemperaturerises,thevoltagewillincreaseasthetemperature
falls,soasecondcalculationisrequired.NECArticle690.7providescorrectionfactorsforcalculating
maximumvoltagebasedonSTCopencircuitvoltageandlowestexpectedambienttemperature.The2008
NECrequiresyoutousethePVmodulesvoltagetemperaturecoefficientinthiscalculation,ifitisavailable.
Usingtherecordlowtemperatureforthearrayslocationiscommonpracticeduringsystemdesign.

Recordlowtemperaturesapproaching40CarenotuncommoninsomeUSlocations.Forexample,
accordingtoweather.com,therecordlowtemperatureis27CforSantaFe,NewMexico,31CforDenver,
Colorado,and38CforLander,Wyoming,whileaveragesummerhightemperaturesaretypicallynear30C.

Modulesat40Care65CcolderthantheirSTCspecificationparameter.Continuingtousethe0.35%/C
temperaturecoefficient,thecoldtemperaturevoltagemultiplieris:1+(65Cx0.35%/C)=122.75%.

InordertoremaincompliantwithNEC690.7andkeepthetemperaturecorrectedmaximumvoltagebelowthe
controllersabsolute150Vdclimit,thearraysVocatSTCiscalculatedas:150Voc(absolutelimit)122.75%
(coldambienttemperaturemultiplier)=122.2Voc.

Vmpistypicallyabout80%ofVoc.Therefore,thearraysVmplimitforthisexerciseis:122.2Vx80%=98V.

Accordingly,thesuitablearrayVmpatSTCrangehasnarrowedconsiderablytoaminimumof73Vanda
maximumof98V.

FindingmoduleswiththerightSTCvoltagespecificationsforthesitetemperaturerangeintheaboveexample
usedtobeadauntingchallenge.Two72cellmodulesinseries(about68VmpatSTC)resultsinanarray
voltagethatisbelowtheminimum73VmpatSTCvalue.Three72cellmodulesinseries(about102Vmpat
STC)resultsinanarrayvoltagethatisgreaterthanthemaximum98VmpatSTCvalue.Onepopularsolution
wastoconfigurefive36cellmodulesinseries,foranarrayvoltageofapproximately85VmpatSTCthatfit
comfortablybetweenthe73Vand98Vlimits.However,36cellmoduleshavelowpowerratingsandahigh
costperwattcomparedto72cellmodules.Thecombinationofhigherspecificpowerandlaborcostsresulted
inarelativelyexpensivearray.

Fortunately,themarketplacehasaddressedandsolvedtheseissuesofmodulespecificationsandcost.Wiring
five36cellmodulesinseriescreatesstringswith180cellsinseriesoperatingatabout85VmpatSTC.
Severalmanufacturersnowofferlargeformat60cellmodules.Configuringthreeofthesemodulesinseries
resultsinanequivalent180cellstring.ThesemanufacturersincludeBP,CanadianSolar,REC,Sharpand
SolarWorld.Othersolutionsarealsoavailable.CanadianSolar,Day4Energy,KyoceraandSharpproduce48
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cellmodules,whichcreate192cellstringswhenwiredfourinseries.Thisapproachworksquitesatisfactorily
overbroadtemperaturerangesaswell.

JimGoodnight/SchneiderElectric/Vienna,VA/schneiderelectric.com(http://www.schneider
electric.com)

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