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Article

Analysis and Evaluation of the Operating Profile of a DC Inverter in a PV Plant

1
Department of Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Methods, Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
2
Department of Management and Business Information Systems, Faculty of Management, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
3
CoE “National Center of Mechatronics and Clean Technologies”, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
4
Department of Information Technology in Industry, Faculty of Computer Systems and Technologies, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2025, 18(23), 6306; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236306 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 21 October 2025 / Revised: 12 November 2025 / Accepted: 25 November 2025 / Published: 30 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Clean Energy Transition)

Abstract

The inverter is the key element that converts the intermittent DC power of the PV array into a quality AC flow to the grid and simultaneously performs functions such as power factor control, reactive services, and grid code compliance. Therefore, the detailed operating profile of the inverter, how the power, dynamics, power quality, and efficiency evolve over time, is critical for both the scientific understanding of the system and the daily operation (O&M). Monitoring only aggregated energy indicators or single KPIs (e.g., PR) is often insufficient: it does not distinguish weather-related variations from technical limitations (clipping, curtailment), does not show dynamic loads (ramp rate), and does not provide confidence in the quality of the injected energy (PF, P–Q behavior). These deficiencies motivate research that simultaneously covers the physical side of the conversion, the operational dynamics, and the climatic reference of the resource. The analysis covers the window of 25 January–15 April 2025 (winter→spring). Due to the pronounced seasonality of the solar resource and temperature regime, all quantitative results and conclusions regarding efficiency, dynamics, clipping, and degradation are valid only for this window; generalizations to other seasons require additional data. In the next stage, we will add ≥12 months of data and perform a comparable seasonal analysis. Full specifications of the measuring equipment (DC/AC current/voltage, clock synchronization, separate high-frequency PQ-logger) and quantitative uncertainty estimates, including distribution to key indicators (η, PR, THD, IDC), are presented. The PVGIS per-kWp climate reference is anchored to the nameplate DC peak and cross-checked against percentile scaling; a±ε scale error shifts PR by ε and changes ΔE proportionally only on hours with P^>P. The capacity for the climate reference (PVGIS per-kWp) is calibrated to the tabulated DC peak power Ccert and is cross-validated using a percentile scale (Q0.99).
Keywords: photovoltaic systems; DC/AC inverter; inverter operating profile; power quality assessment; inverter efficiency; SCADA monitoring; climate-normalized performance ratio photovoltaic systems; DC/AC inverter; inverter operating profile; power quality assessment; inverter efficiency; SCADA monitoring; climate-normalized performance ratio

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MDPI and ACS Style

Baeva, S.; Hinova, I.; Stanchev, P. Analysis and Evaluation of the Operating Profile of a DC Inverter in a PV Plant. Energies 2025, 18, 6306. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236306

AMA Style

Baeva S, Hinova I, Stanchev P. Analysis and Evaluation of the Operating Profile of a DC Inverter in a PV Plant. Energies. 2025; 18(23):6306. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236306

Chicago/Turabian Style

Baeva, Silvia, Ivelina Hinova, and Plamen Stanchev. 2025. "Analysis and Evaluation of the Operating Profile of a DC Inverter in a PV Plant" Energies 18, no. 23: 6306. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236306

APA Style

Baeva, S., Hinova, I., & Stanchev, P. (2025). Analysis and Evaluation of the Operating Profile of a DC Inverter in a PV Plant. Energies, 18(23), 6306. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236306

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