Importance of ACDB & DCDB for Solar system Protection & Safety

ACDB & DCDB are vital protection devices for solar system safety & protection

ACDB (Alternating Current Distribution Box) and DCDB (Direct Current Distribution Box) are essential components in a solar power plant. They serve different functions in the solar energy system and are necessary to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the plant. Here are the requirements and functions of ACDB and DCDB in a solar plant:

DCDB (Direct Current Distribution Box):

• Input of Solar Panels: DCDB is connected directly to the solar panels, where it receives the DC power generated by the panels. Each string of solar panels is typically connected to a DC combiner box to consolidate the DC power output before it reaches the DCDB.

• Protection and Safety: DCDB includes various protective devices such as fuses, circuit breakers, surge protection devices, and isolators. These devices are essential to ensure the safety of the solar plant by preventing overcurrent, overvoltage, and short-circuits that can damage the panels or other components.

• Monitoring and Control: DCDB may also include monitoring and control devices such as string-level monitoring systems. These systems help detect any issues with individual strings of panels, enabling early detection and maintenance.

• DC to AC Inverter Connection: The DC power from the solar panels is fed into inverters, which convert it into AC power for use in the electrical grid. The DCDB facilitates the connection between the inverters and the DC source.

ACDB (Alternating Current Distribution Box):

• Output of Inverters: ACDB is connected to the output of the inverters, where it receives the AC power generated by the solar plant's inverters. The AC power is typically at a higher voltage and is ready to be sent to the grid or used on-site.

• Protection and Safety: Similar to the DCDB, ACDB includes protective devices such as circuit breakers and surge protection devices to safeguard the AC electrical system from overloads, short circuits, and voltage surges.

• Metering and Monitoring: ACDB may include energy meters and monitoring equipment to measure the amount of electricity generated by the solar plant. This data is crucial for billing purposes, monitoring system performance, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Grid Connection: ACDB is also responsible for facilitating the connection of the solar plant to the electrical grid. It may include synchronization equipment to ensure that the solar power is aligned with the grid's frequency and voltage.

• Distribution: In larger solar plants, ACDB may also be involved in distributing the generated power to various loads within the facility, such as buildings, equipment, or storage systems.

In summary, ACDB and DCDB are essential components of a solar power plant's electrical infrastructure. They play a crucial role in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the plant, protecting equipment, facilitating grid connection, and providing necessary monitoring and control capabilities. The specific requirements for ACDB and DCDB may vary depending on the size and complexity of the solar installation and local electrical codes and regulations.

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Things to consider while choosing the Solar Installer for Your Residential Solar Project

1. Experience and expertise: Choose a solar installer who has experience and expertise in the field. Look for installers who have been in business for several years and have a track record of successful installations.

2. Licensing and certifications: Check if the installer is licensed and certified to install solar panels in your area. A licensed and certified installer will have the knowledge and skills to ensure a safe and efficient installation.

3. Reviews and references: Look for reviews and references from previous customers. This will give you an idea of the installer's reputation and the quality of their work.

4. Warranty and maintenance: Ask about the warranty and maintenance offered by the installer. A reputable installer will provide a warranty on their work and offer maintenance services to ensure the long-term performance of your solar panels.

5. Financing options: Check if the installer offers financing options. This can help you save money on the upfront costs of installing solar panels.

6. Quality of equipment: Ask about the quality of the solar panels and other equipment that will be installed. Look for high-quality equipment from reputable manufacturers that come with a warranty.

7. Customer service: Choose an installer who provides excellent customer service. They should be responsive to your questions and concerns, and provide ongoing support after the installation is complete.

8. Cost: Compare the cost of installation from different installers. Look for an installer who offers a competitive price without compromising on the quality of their work or equipment.

What is PID in solar modules ? Can it be avoided ?

PID stands for potential induced degradation. It is an important issue of performance degradation in crystalline silicon solar panels. The degradation could be high as 30% or even up to 70% in some cases. The degradation occurs in solar energy systems and can be reversible or irreversible.

Potential-Induced Degradation (PID) is a common phenomenon causing PV panels to lose power generation by up to 80%. Power reduction may occur over time or can happen within days or weeks after installation.

The PID process in the PV module may grow very rapidly and in the shortest period will affect the performance of an entire PV system. Consequently, this results in damaging effects on PV system project financing, operations and economics at all installation levels: residential, commercial and utility-base. It is essential to understand and address the PID problem in its early stages, to ensure PV module performance over the entire system life – PID can be prevented and recovered on system level altogether.

Causes of Potential Induced Degradation (PID)

PID occurs because of minor, unwanted currents between the semiconductor on the one side, and the glass, anti-reflective coating (ARC), the frame, and the mounting on the other side.

The degradation in performance is associated with migration of sodium ions, from the glass plate through the encapsulation (commonly: EVA) and the Anti-Reflective Coating (ARC) to the cell.

This would be caused when due to a particular manner of string earthing, the semiconductor in a cell acquires a negative potential with respect to the encapsulation and the support structure.

The presence of these ions causes an effective shunt path across the cell and reduces the output. The effect is somewhat cumulative with time and has a greater extent when the cell is operated at a higher negative potential with respect these parts.

PID promote factors

Temperature and humidity are both known to promote PID. However, there is not much one can do about these factors once a system is installed in a given location.

Dependence on Location in String

Recall the words “higher negative potential” in the explanation above. If the positive terminal of the string is taken as system ground and the mounting structure connected to the earth potential, the cell closest to the positive terminal has the least negative potential with respect to earth, and hence the least PID effect.

The cell closest to the negative terminal will experience a high negative potential relative to the grounded structure and will undergo maximum PID. Thus cells, modules and panels will experience PID according to their position in the string.

Avoiding / Mitigating PID

The following considerations are applicable:

• Location– for a new plant, within other limitations, a site with lower temperature and humidity should be selected. Note that a windy site will also keep the system cooler.

• Use PID Resistant Hardware– for a new set up, there are modules available which are resistant to PID. However, the cost will be higher due to use of more expensive encapsulating materials, anti-reflective coatings, and other materials. A compromise may have to be made for overall profitability by using panels subject to PID and adopting other mitigating techniques.

• Earthing- Use modules where there is no restriction imposed by the manufacturer on connecting the negative end of the string to system ground.

• Charge Equalizers– are built into inverters. When the inverter is inactive at night, they apply an opposite bias to the panel which cancels out the reversible type of PID effect overnight. Reversible PID is also called polarization.

Any other way to reduce PID Impact :-

Sungrow and TÜV Rheinland have jointly issued PID Zero – an anti-PID solution whitepaper for residential PV systems. Equipped with patented mirror boost topology and an intelligent control algorithm, the innovative PID Zero solution provides 24-hour anti-PID protection, enabling more effective PID suppression during the day and PID recovery at night, significantly reducing power generation losses due to module performance degradation.