Solar Multiphase Energy Converter

Renewable energy power sources offer unpredictable, intermittent availability. As mobility technology becomes more electrified, electric vehicle ownership will increase. The renewable energy multiphase converter intelligently switches between energy sources to charge the electric vehicle battery and can sell excess power to the electrical grid when advantageous.

This new system has electric vehicle batteries with a combination of off-the-shelf hardware to monitor renewable energy availability and grid demand to determine the most cost-effective use of the power – charging and direct use or sale to the grid.

The team used a microcontroller-based single-board computer and developed software to manage the distribution of power between four systems – solar panels, wind generator, electric grid and the electric vehicle. The developed software measures the power output of each source, compares them, and sends a signal that triggers a relay system through the microcontroller to fulfill the users’ needs, based on efficiency, cost reduction and/or profit.