Emmanuel Sambuis and Sangmin Chon
Texas Instruments

A worldwide concern for future access to affordable, sustainable energy is driving the development of more efficient solar power generation. In any photovoltaic (PV) based system, the inverter is a critical component responsible for the control of electricity flow between the module, battery, loads, and power grid. Inverters, which convert direct to alternating current, can be designed to be used with different voltage ranges and topologies for varying applications. They can also be designed with or without transformers. Besides DC/AC conversion, inverters provide additional functions such as maximizing power, battery charging, and protecting the circuit.