ABSTRACT
The increase in oil prices over the past several years has encouraged all scientists, engineers, and economists to look for alternative energy sources. Currently there exist a variety of available industry standards that address many of these design, operation, and maintenance aspects. Solar transformers operate at a steady voltage, with the rated voltage controlled by inverters. Therefore, voltage and load fluctuations are considerably reduced. In most geographical locations in the United States, solar power facilities experience a steady-state loading when inverters are operating. When the sun comes out, there is a dampened reaction process, and loading on the transformer is more constant. Fault ride-through has yet to be defined for solar systems. This could be because it is easier to turn solar power systems on and off quickly. With solar transformers, step-up duty is required, but without the problems associated with over-voltages caused by unloaded generators.
