Low complexity structure and control for microinverters with reactive power support capability

There is a need for microinverters that support non-unity factor operation in response to recently issued regulations. In this paper, a topology is proposed for a low cost and efficient single phase microinverter that can supply reactive power. The microinverter is controlled to ensure smooth current flow to/from the grid where a three-stage operation is used. Despite their low complexity, the proposed structure and control algorithms are found to be effective as they are verified successfully through simulation studies.