Feb 20 2010
Due to the efforts of Dr. Jonathan Kimball, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, solar arrays may be more reliable and energy efficient in the future.
Jonathan Kimball said the solar modules are connected in series in the conventional method. A single defective bulb in a set of lights that are connected in series can disrupt the entire set. Similarly, a single solar panel that is damaged, dirty or shaded can stop the flow of current through the other panels connected in a series. Variation in a single panel’s performance will inherently limit the amount of power produced in the solar array that is connected in the conventional method, Kimball said.
Kimball suggests a parallel connection instead of a series connection, where the current must pass from one solar panel to the next and finally to single power converter. In a parallel connection, all the solar panels will have its own power converter.
Currently, Kimball is working on two projects in this field. Kimball is developing a system in one of the projects that is supported by U.S. Army’s Leonard Wood Institute for deployment in a forward operating base. National Science Foundation is funding the other project through which he is developing a system for residential application.
Source: http://www.mst.edu/