STMicroelectronics Unveils SPV1020, DC-DC Boost Converter IC for Solar Generators

The SPV1020 is the industry’s first IC to combine important power-optimization and power-conversion functions for solar generators. ST’s innovation will allow multi-panel arrays, ranging from domestic rooftop-type equipment to larger installations, to deliver more energy at a lower cost per Watt. The SPV1020 allows Maximum Power-Point Tracking (MPPT) to be applied individually for each panel. MPPT automatically adjusts a solar generator’s output circuitry to compensate for power fluctuations resulting from varying solar intensity, shadowing, temperature change, panel mismatch, or ageing. Without MPPT, the power from a solar panel can fall by 10 to 20 percent if even a small percentage of its surface is in shadow. This disproportionate decrease may restrict the choice of site or force the use of a smaller array to avoid shadows. In some cases, it can challenge the viability of the project. The SPV1020 enables Distributed MPPT (DMPPT), which compensates each panel individually, in contrast to a centralized MPPT scheme that applies a ‘best-fit’ compensation to all the panels in the array…

SPV1020 Chip
(Photo from ST Website)