Performance of the Power Conditioning Unit of the 300 kW Delphos Plant

The most important PV experimental station in Italy is the DELPHOS (Demonstration Electric Photovoltaic System) plant, built in the frame of the Delphos project. The first section (300 kW) of the plant has been running since December 1986, while a second 300 kW section is under construction. Experimental activities have been focused on electricity production in connection with the 3-phase transmission line at standard voltage of 20 kV. Both system and component performance have been analyzed. In particular, specific measurements have been carried out in order to study the power conditioning unit (PCU) and to evaluate the relevant efficiency and the maximum power point tracking capability, as well as the power factor correction operation and the harmonic filtering. After a short description of the principal characteristics of the PCU, a detailed performance analysis of main PCU components is presented and possible future system improvements are discussed.