This paper presents a two-stage grid-connected PV system with reactive power management capability. The proposed model can send phase-shifted current to the grid during a low-voltage ride through (LVRT) to recover the voltage levels of the grid’s feeders. The novelty of the proposed algorithm, unlike the common methods, is that it does not need to disable the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) state while managing active and reactive power injection simultaneously. Moreover, the new method promotes a safety factor by offering overcurrent protection to the PV inverter. The phase-locked loop based on the synchronous reference frame (SRF-PLL) is optimized using a genetic algorithm (GA). The settling time of SRF-PLL’s step response is minimized, and the frequency dynamics are improved to enhance synchronization during LVRT. The system’s performance is tested and verified using MATLAB/Simulink simulations. The obtained results prove the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm in managing reactive power interventions. The optimized phase-locked loop shows robust performance and is compared to the conventional low-gain PLL to spot the enhancement.

This paper presents a control scheme for a photovoltaic (PV) system that uses a single-phase grid-connected inverter with low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability. In this scheme, two PI regulators are used to adjust the power angle and voltage modulation index of the inverter; therefore, controlling the inverter’s active and reactive output power, respectively. A fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is also implemented to manage the inverter’s operation during the LVRT operation. The FLC adjusts (or de-rates) the inverter’s reference active and reactive power commands based on the grid voltage sag and the power available from the PV system. Therefore, the inverter operation has been divided into two modes: (i) Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) during the normal operating conditions of the grid, and (ii) LVRT support when the grid is operating under faulty conditions. In the LVRT mode, the de-rating of the inverter active output power allows for injection of some reactive power, hence providing voltage support to the grid and enhancing the utilization factor of the inverter’s capacity. The proposed system was modelled and simulated using MATLAB Simulink. The simulation results showed good system performance in response to changes in reference power command, and in adjusting the amount of active and reactive power injected into the grid.

Electrical vehicles are finding wide acceptance in the Jordanian transportation market; this has caused an accelerating shift in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the direct burning of fossil fuels consumed by the transportation sector towards the power generation sector. On the other hand, as electric vehicles gain more popularity, an extra load is added to the electrical power generation systems, raising essential concerns such as the capability of the power network to support this massive extra load and the increased emission of greenhouse gases caused by power plants. Studies show that Jordan’s weather is known for being bright, sunny, and very suitable for the generation of electric power from solar energy sources. Therefore, with an infrastructure that can support convenient off-grid charging, a huge burden will be taken off the national grid and the environment. Therefore, this work proposes a basic design for an off-grid PV-covered carport and presents a study of the economics and effectiveness of using such a system to charge electric vehicles owned by the students and employees of the Applied Science Private University. The study is based on actual solar irradiance data collected on-site during university working hours (8 a.m.–5 p.m.) to allow students and employees to charge their electric vehicles from an off-grid carport system while on campus. Space limitations for carport design, initial design cost, return on investment, and annual electricity consumption are discussed to demonstrate the benefits of such a system for both the consumer (convenience and low charging cost) and the power company provider (less load to maintain).

This paper presents a robust sliding mode controller of DC-DC buck converter for renewable energy applications, such as photovoltaic systems in off-grid configurations. Photovoltaic systems in off-grid configuration are exposed to significant variations in input voltage and power loads. The proposed sliding mode controller presents a simple and efficient method of continuously updating the duty cycle of a pulse width modulation unit (PWM) of a buck converter. The PWM unit is operated at constant switching frequency of 10 kHz carrier signal and varying duty cycle. The differences in input voltage and power load are treated as two bounded uncertainties, thus eliminating the need for input voltage sensor and output current sensors leaving the system with a single sensor required to measure the converter output voltage. That is, measured output voltage is compared with the reference voltage to continuously update the average duty cycle value of PWM unit. Adjustment of PWM duty cycle is performed while maintaining the sliding condition always fulfilled. The simulation results of the proposed controller showed robustness and accuracy against power load fluctuation, changes in desired output voltage, and variations in the input supply voltage that may result from the varying level of irradiance and temperature.

Energy Conservation as a Sustainable Strategy for Smart Home Buildings in Amman, Jordan with Improving Indoor Built Environment features and key performance