Inverter power peak clipping

Should a PV inverter be clipped?

It is commonly assumed that cleaning photovoltaic (PV) modules is unnecessary when the inverter is undersized because clipping will suficiently mask the soiling losses. Clipping occurs when the inverter’s AC size is smaller than the overall modules’ DC capacity and leads to the conversion of only part of the PV-generated DC energy into AC.

How to prevent solar inverter clipping?

Making sure that the ratio between the DC power of the solar panel and the AC power of the inverter is maintained can effectively avoid inverter clipping. In simple terms, if the solar panel's ability to generate power (DC power) is too strong, and the inverter's ability to handle it (AC power) is weak, clipping is likely to occur.

What is inverter clipping?

According to Bolinger et al. , in 2020, the median ILR for PV systems installed in the U.S. reached 1.34, for both tracked and fixed configurations, with 20th and 80th percentiles of 1.26 and 1.45. Inverter clipping occurs when the DC power is greater than the AC inverter's production capacity.

Does inverter clipping reduce AC power?

Left: Simulation of inverter clipping on 1kW DC fixed-tilt system in Broomfield, Colorado, on March 20, 2015. The following losses were considered: 10% DC losses (excluding soiling), 5% soiling losses, 5% inverter losses. The DC to AC ratio was set to 1.34. After clipping, soiling losses reduce the actual AC power by 2.3%.