Gamesa Electric Unlock the hidden benefits of ultra-low THD inverters in solar and storage projects
- Hidden losses due to harmonics can reach up to 0.35% of the yield of a photovoltaic plant.
- Gamesa Electric publishes a White Paper with the keys to avoid losses and problems associated with THD
The use of so-called ‘Ultra-low THD inverters’ minimises the harmful effects of harmonic distortion, avoiding not only the hidden losses that occur in the installation but also the associated reliability and performance problems that harmonics cause. This is the main conclusion of the white paper titled ‘Unlocking the hidden benefits of ultra-low THD inverters in solar and storage projects’ published today.
‘Harmonic distortion or THD is one of the most overlooked sources of losses and reliability problems in solar and storage plants,’ says Andrés Agudo, Director of Technology at Gamesa Electric.
As explained in the White Paper, inverter design standards are outdated and compliance with them does not ensure that these problems are avoided. ‘It is necessary to design what we call ultra-low THD inverters, such as our Gamesa Electric Proteus model, to minimise losses, which can be very significant, as shown in the study’, says Andrés Agudo.
Beyond the immediate impact on energy production, harmonics can trigger mechanical vibrations, thus compromising the longevity of critical components such as transformers. Additionally, poor anti-harmonic strategy causes the performance and efficiency of the entire system to deteriorate.
The White Paper includes an independent study comparing the performance of an ultra-low THD inverter such as the Gamesa Electric Proteus against other models with less capacity to attenuate harmonics and concludes that in the case of Gamesa Electric Proteus, the production can be up to 0.35% higher.
