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Implementation of Standalone PV Micro Grid with
Multi-level converters for Rural Electrification
Ignace Rasoanarivo
LEMTA, UMR 7563, CNRS,
University of Lorraine, 54505, FRANCE
ignace.rasoanarivo@univ-lorraine.fr
Abstract— The present paper deals with a standalone micro grid
for rural electrification with multilevel converters powered by PV
energy solar, with large range of solar irradiance. For countries of
Sub-Saharan Africa, the developed systems must have aspects of
robustness, reliability, very low maintenance and affordable costs.
So, the use of multilevel converter in low and medium voltage can
satisfy these criteria according to the following conditions: good
voltage withstand and low losses for the power switches, low total
harmonic distortion of output voltage. These properties allow
optimally sizing PV solar panels, battery banks, passive elements
for filters, and electrical features of power components.
Keywords—Multilevel Converter, PV Solar, Battery, PI
Controllers, Total Harmonic Distortion, Passive Filter.
I.
INTRODUCTİON
The developing countries still specifically face the challenge
of access to electric power. Nowadays, the world market is
therefore substantial because it concerns almost one third of our
planet. In most rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and
Madagascar, less than 6% of the population has access to
electricity. The standard of living of the population as well as
the scattering of villages is a dilemma that does not allow the
implementation of large power electric plants. Also, the load
profile as well as the operating modes varies from one zone to
another, according to the multi-criterion characteristics of the
villages. This requires adequate and specific solutions on the
energy management, the socio-economic but especially
technical level.
The actual evolutions of multilevel converters topology
contribute to a highly satisfactory behavior as voltage supply
source [1, 2, 3]. Despite of a fairly large number of power
switches, capacitor banks and DC power sources, a pathway for
the upcoming researchers [4, 5] consider the design issues and
challenges in the development of new multilevel inverter
topologies especially for micro grid network.
It is in this context that this article proposes the use of two
five-level converters in a micro grid network powered by PV
solar energy.
The first converter has a five-level Boost structure operating
with a low switching frequency. For a wide range of the solar
irradiance, this converter links PV panels and battery bank by
regulating its voltages via the duty cycle of the control of the
gates triggers of the transistors.
The second topology is a Five-level Load Point Clamped
(LPC) Inverter [6] modified in the purpose of increasing the
voltage withstand of each power semiconductor. In order to
reduce the switching losses, without degrading THD of the
output voltage, the full-wave operating mode allows to the
converter as a perfect voltage source, and generates waveform
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patterns independent of the load nature, either capacitive or
inductive.
For a large range of load powers from some kW to a few
tens of kW, the output voltage must be sinusoidal and highly
rigid, due to the combined action of a low pass filter LC and a
PI corrector.
The paper includes five sections. After introduction, Section
II depicts the general diagram of the installation. According to
Matlab Simulink Library, Section III gives the simulation
models of PV panels and battery. The topological structures as
well as their control laws for the two multilevel converters are
described in Section IV. Section V treats out the dimensioning
of the filter located before the electrical network supplying the
users and customers. Section VI gives the results and the
performances according to two supply modes: first by battery,
and after by the PV panels associated with battery banks. Last
section deals with responses due to transient behaviors
calculated by simulation during changes in irradiance and
ambient temperature, and abrupt changes of load power in the
network.
II. GENERAL DİAGRAMM OF THE INSTALLATİON SET
Fig. 1. The general diagram of the installation set
As shown on Fig. 1, the whole installation includes: PV
solar panels and battery banks, two 5-levels converters, two
passive low-pass filters. Two simple and robust PI controllers
adjust the DC Bus bar voltage of the output terminals of the first
converter, and the one of the second converter providing the
electrical network voltage.
The electricity grid is a single-phase network and is
dedicated to rural electrification: in domestic uses such as
lighting, cooking and pumping water for water tanks for water
supply. Such a solution contributes to stop deforestation widely
widespread in these regions, to abandon ancestral methods of
slash-and-burn agriculture. This makes it possible to water
community vegetable gardens, to have small-scale irrigations
for rice cultivation, and thus to contribute to the protection of
the environment with a view to improve the standard of living
and the general health of the populations living in these regions.

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The Five-Level Load Point Clamped Inverter has eight

transistors: they are still passing two by two in series for the
III. MODELS OF PV AND BATTERY formation of the output voltage.
For low and medium voltages, the series-connected power
The more realistic analyses of the installation require switches present satisfactory voltage withstands. This highlights
accurate simulation models of the battery and PV solar panels. the robustness and reliability of these converters, especially
Thus, these models are taken from MATLAB's Components facing the reverse breakdown voltage of each switch.
Library.

A.
Command Strategy of Five-Level BOOST Converter

The output terminals of this converter include five DC

voltage levels
+2Q  +1Q   +1I  +2I . These four voltages are two
per two opposed and symmetrical, with :
+2I m k
+2Q
$


+I1 m k+1Q m #+2I , with o # o




(1)
The triggers of 1  2  3  4
are obtained by combination of
time intervals )1  )2  )3  )4 and PWM pulses. As indicated
on Fig. 5, durations )1  )2 
)3  )4 are deduced by the two
following sinusoidal signals:
Fig. 2. Characterization of battery according to MATLAB SIMULINK Library. +1 ) m  .!1 ) 
+2 ) m  .!1 ) j / (2)
Their characterization curves are given on Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.
The angle / and the duty cycle of PWM pulses directly
For the battery, its internal resistance and its discharge curve are
influence on the values of the four DC output voltages.
taken into account. For PV panels, they are used with MPPT
According to Fig. 6, and with low switching frequency, the
mode, so the irradiance level and the ambient temperature will
commutation losses of these power semiconductors are
be considered.
effectively low.

Fig. 3. Characterization PV panels models according to MATLAB SIMULINK

Library.
Fig. 5. Determining time intervals )I
IV. DESCRIPTION OF MULTI LEVEL CONVERTERS
The structures of the two five-level converters are presented
on Fig. 4.

Fig. 6. Trigger formation of transistors of Five-Level Boost Converter

B. Command Strategy of Five-level LPC inverter

Fig. 4. Structure of Five-Level Boost Converter (in the left), and the one of
Five-Level Load Point Clamped Inverter (in the right). The output voltage

+@0
shown on Fig. 7 is achieved
according to the following definitions:
The Boost converter includes four transistors which in state
 &%*'
o - o -1
ON allow the magnetization of the coil inductance LB, and four 9
diodes. The charging of a capacitance C necessitates at least two +@0 m  &%*'
-1 o - o -2
(3)
2
transistors ON and a diode.  &%*'
-2 o - o iZ

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The angles
-1  -2
are deduced by the data of five sinusoidal In these cases, the components L and C depend on two
signals defined as: quantities 8
and !8SR with:
PGH0 ) m  .!0 ) 
PGH1 ) m  .!0 ) k -1  ;[ :ce`bd`h
m (9)
2WHY Bce`b
PGH2 ) m  .!0 ) k -2 
PGH3 ) m  .!0 ) j -1  (4)
1
PGH4 ) m  .!0 ) j -2 m , with !ESR n  l , (10)
p2WHagf qZ 8
With:
o -1 o -2 o iZ

$
!0 m  , .
VI.
RESULTS OF OPERATING MODES AND PERFORMANCES

This section will be done in two parts:

- The network only powered by batteries (Fig. 9);
- The complete system with PV solar and batteries (Fig.1).

Fig. 9. Synoptic of the network only powered by batteries.

Fig. 7. Sinusoidal signals of reference
PGHI contributing to the pattern of output
voltage of
+@0 .
The analyses will be carried out for two power ranges: P1
The fundamental wave of the voltage VR 0 , is defined by: from 500W to 15000W, P2 from 15000W to 60000W. Table1
29 summarizes the other data of the simulation: voltage of battery
1 m p%(-1 j %(-2 q (5)
W bankDCR , rated capacity currentECO , setting parameters of PI
controller: proportional coefficient#O , integral coefficient#I ,
This last equation highlights that angles
-1  -2

allow to
components of filter2: inductance L, capacitance C. The grid
adjust the RMS value and to optimize the harmonic content of
voltage is regulated for 230V RMS, thanks to the PI2 controller.
the output voltage
+@0 . In addition, because of the full wave
control, each transistor only operates once per electrical period, TABLE I.
DIFFERENT PARAMETERS OF THE SIMULATION
thus its conduction and commutation losses are relatively small.
Load Power DCR ECO #I #O L C
V.
FILTERS (V) (Ah) (mH) (μF)
0.5kW<P1<15kW 84 50 30 0.1 2 2900
Filter1 is a conventional parallel filter, and Filtre2 a low pass
15kW<P2<60kW 132 150 30 0.1 4.3 1400
type (Fig. 8).
A.
The Network powered only by battery

As indicated by equation (5), by fixing angle-1
, Fig. 10_a

underlines that angle
-2
effectively varies between 20° and 85°,
for each power range. Let notice that great values of
-2 are
associated with small powers, and vice-versa.
On Fig. 10-b, for all values of the load power, the output
Fig. 8. Diagram of Filter2
voltage RMS value is perfectly rigid and regulated around 230V
RMS
while the output voltage of the inverter increases with the
The dimensioning of Filter2 must take into account the
required power. It means that the output current of the inverter
maximal active power
LCU provided to the load and the RMS
becomes important and it is necessary to compensate the voltage
output voltage
NSR@=A
. By defining:
Begf]\^ Z
drop induced. It is why the ratio of the voltages
NSR@=A and
?
KNCFLCU m
Begf]\^

  m ?d`h








(6) NSRIMT is greater than the unity, in addition of the gain
Bode analyses are applied on the following magnitudes: amplification due to the Filter2.
Tce`b 6J@
9
m
<X5J@p<8XZ 61q























(7)

Ice`b 6J
I_
m
@8X6J





(8)

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Fig. 10. Areas of variation of angle
-2 , for grid voltage controlled.
Fig. 11. Performances curves of the system.
On Fig.11-a, the THD voltage of the inverter is comprised
between 20% (for high power) and 50% (for high power), while
the one of the network remains lesser than 5%. That underlines
the good performances of Filter2 in respect to the harmonic
content of the load voltage. The Fig.11-b shows high values of
current in the inverter facing to the load current, because of the
capacitance current value: these curves give important
indications for the current sizing of the power semiconductors.
Fig. 12. Waveforms versus the load power: (a) for P2=50kW, (b) for P1=15kW.
Fig. 12 shows operating waveforms for high power (50kW)
and low power (15kW) in the load. In the two figures, the shape
patterns of the inverter voltage are clearly drawn and includes
five levels even if the current is inductive (Fig. 12-a) or
capacitive (Fig. 12-b).
This highlights that the inverter mainly
behaves as perfect voltage supply. Let also notice that in Fig.
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12-b, angle -2 is greater while in Fig. 12-a, it is smaller. This
emphasizes a higher harmonic content in low power than at high
power (as shown in Fig. 11-a).
The grid voltage @> and its reference wave @> ' !are also
in good correspondence, confirming the good performance of
the controller PI2. Thus, the output voltage @>
in the load is
perfectly sinusoidal with a THD voltage lesser than 50%.
The superior and inferior battery banks provide the current
"D2
when the output voltage is equal to E. The inferior battery
only produces current "D1
during the duration of the level
voltage E/2. Let notice that the current "D1 can present a negative
component thus showing a possibility of charging of this battery
bank.
B. The complete system
In this paragraph, the whole system is powered by PV panels
associated with battery banks, according to the general diagram
depicted in Fig. 1. These analyzes are carried out with under
different solar irradiances, concerning 50kW load in the micro
grid.
TABLE II.
POWERS SHARING BETWEEEN PV SOLAR AND BATTERY
VERSUS THE IRRADIANCE FOR 50KW IN THE LOAD
Irradiance (W/m²) 1000 750 500
PV (kW) 30.6 22.33 14.5
Battery (kW) 34.2 40.1 47.1
Load (kW) 50 50 50
So, Table 2 presents the power sharing between by PV solar
and Battery versus the irradiance. For high irradiance, the
energy is per half supplied for each source, and for low
irradiance, it is in a proportion of a quarter and of three quarters.

The efficiency of the installation is around 83%, mainly due to
the Joule losses in the semiconductors, in the resistances of the
inductance coils, and in the internal resistance of the batteries
and he ones of PV panels
Operating waveforms, with 50kW as load power, are shown
on Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, and are associated with 500W/m² and
1000W/m² irradiance solar. On each figure, we have:
-
(a): in the top, the current ?B
and the voltage ?B
of PV
panels, voltages at the battery terminals+D2 j +D1 ,
+D1 bus bar
voltages +Q2  +Q1  +I1  +I2 ;
-
(b): in the bottom, the current IMT
and the voltage IMT of the
inverter, the grid voltage @> , its reference wave @>PGH and
the load current@> , the voltages +D2 j +D1 ,
+D1 and the
currents "D2  "D1 of battery.
For the PV panels, the waveforms of current and voltage are
well flat: this highlights the good performance of Filter1. The
output voltage value of this entity is the same for the two
irradiances (about 70V). Its current is about 430A for 500W/m²
and 230A for 1000W/m². The output voltages of the Boost
converter include four DC levels: +2Q  +1Q  +I1  +I2 which are two
per two opposed and symmetrical. The corrector PI1 (as shown
on Fig.1) well regulates the voltage +2Q
(resp.
+1Q ) and
(resp.
+D1 ), and produces the same behaviors despite the
difference of solar irradiances. The waveforms associated with
the five-level inverter present the same characteristics as given
on Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. These waves are perfectly sinusoidal in

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the micro-grid, and the shape pattern of the inverter voltage is
clearly drawn and includes five levels. However, the currents in
the batteries have a negative component which becomes more
and more important when the irradiance value increases
It can
then be noted that the batteries charging can be adjusted by the
irradiance and the reference
+DSQ , for a given load in the micro-
grid.
Fig. 13. Operating waveforms for 1000W/m².
Fig. 14. Operating waveforms for 500W/m².
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VII. TRANSIENT ANALYSES
Two operating modes are treated:
-case 1: with solar irradiance constant and variable load powers;
-case 2: with variable solar irradiance and variable load powers.
The obtained results are shown on Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. In
each figure, we present:
-
In the top: the electrical waveforms in the network
(current
@> and voltage
@> ) and the refernce signal

@>PGH ;
-
In the bottom: the load power
KNCF , the power

?B
delivered by PV panel, the power

7CRRGPV
provide by battery, the solar
irradiance

''"$ .
Fig. 15. Operating waveforms with 1000W/m² and variable load powers.
Fig. 16. Operating waveforms with 1000 W/m² and 750 W/m² and variable load
powers.
On the two figures, the electrical network practically
remains rigid facing to the disturbances applied: the electrical
current
@> and output voltage
@> are well sinusoidal. The
load voltage
@> follows well the reference wave
@>PGH and
the generated overshoot lasts only two or three electrical
periods.
This result confirms the high performance due to the
combined actions of Filter2 and PI2 controller.
The two sources of power, the PV panels and the battery,
contribute well to provide the power required in the load. The
values of power found are in very good correspondence with
those given in Table II (column 1000W/m²). On Fig. 15, when
the power of the load is smaller than the power available at the
terminals of the solar panels, it is possible to charge the
batteries. On Fig. 16, the power provided by solar panels is well
proportional to the value of solar irradiance.


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CONCLUSIONS
The results previously shown underline the good behavior of
the developed electrical network despite of the large range of
the load power. The waveforms in the network are perfectly
sinusoidal with 230V RMS for the voltage. The association of
the two multi-level converters well operates: their operating
controlled modes appear practically independent the one of the
other. In addition, the Boost converter behaves as interface
between the PV panels and the battery banks. The batteries
charging can be possible thanks to a judicious adjustment of the
irradiance solar and the reference
+DSQ for a given load in the
micro-grid. This case can be happen during high irradiance and
low load power.
For transient behaviors calculated by simulation during
abrupt changes of load powers and of solar irradiance, the micro
grid network is well rigid and practically invariant in shapes
(sinusoidal) and in value (230V RMS),
with a possibility
charging the battery banks.
However, this charge of the batteries
must also be controlled so as not to destroy them, but this part
must be taken into account in future work.

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