Design and development of an inverter for floating solar panels

Abstract

The growing global demand for renewable energy and the scarcity of land for large-scale solar installations have accelerated the development of Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) systems. To ensure efficient DC–AC conversion and high power quality in such systems, in this paper, the Phase Disposition (PD) Pulse Width Modulation approach in MATLAB/Simulink is used to develop and simulate an 11-level Multilevel Inverter (MLI). The proposed inverter efficiently converts the DC output from floating solar panels into an enhanced AC waveform with a notably lower Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). The modular structure of the inverter enhances scalability, reliability, and system efficiency while minimizing switching losses and filter requirements. Simulation results verify that the 11-level PD-based MLI provides smooth voltage output, improved waveform quality, and reduced harmonics, making it a viable option for applications involving FPV and other renewable energy sources.