Comparative analysis of multilevel inverter topologies for photovoltaic system

In this paper, a comparative analysis of 7-level inverter topologies suitable for photovoltaic system is presented. The analysis is based on cost, components, control complexity, and efficiency. The topologies chosen for comparative study are: (i) Conventional Cascaded H-bridge (ii) H-bridge with level transformers (iii) H-bridge with bidirectional switch and (iv) H-bridge with multiple sources. All the topologies are based on cascaded H-bridge or its modified version as cascaded topology requires least components and modular structure suitable for medium voltage applications. The comparative analysis investigates the multilevel inverter topology suitable for photovoltaic system. The comparative analysis is demonstrated via simulation study of each topology using MATLAB/Simulink.