Alencon SPOT: Installation,
Operation, and Maintenance Manual
11 |
P a g e
4 SPOT Applications
The SPOT is a set of 4 galvanically isolated DC-to-DC converters, that operate between a variety
of possible DC sources (PV, fuel cell, battery, etc.) and loads (inverter, battery, motor, etc.). Most
commonly, a SPOT is placed between PV strings and a combiner box as shown in figure 5.
SPOT can provide:
Granular MPPT for each PV string
Match PV string voltage with common Inverter or Battery DC bus.
Galvanic isolation between PV ground and Inverter/Battery ground.
F
IGURE
4:
SPOT
UNITS PLACED BETWEEN
PV
PANEL AND COMBINER
.
There is a continually growing number of applications in which the SPOT device can be used,
some of the most common include:
In the construction of a new PV system when a centralized inverter has limited number
of MPPT inputs.
In the construction of a new PV system when a centralized inverter shares the DC bus
with a battery storage system.
In repowering of PV systems when old, centralized inverter is replaced with several
transformer-less inverters.
In repowering of PV systems when PV strings have degraded and cannot deliver required
DC voltage.
In repowering of PV systems augmented with a battery storage system.
In these applications, SPOTs are installed between PV strings and the combiner boxes that feed
a 3
rd
party inverter.
