Cascaded Multi-Level Inverter and Generalized Power Theory for Enhanced Smart City Operations

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into microgrids poses challenges in maintaining power quality (PQ) due to fluctuations in solar irradiance, variable loads, and nonlinear load-induced harmonics. Traditional inverters and control methods often fail to address these issues effectively. This paper presents a combined cascaded multi-level inverter (CMLI) and generalized power theory (GPT) decoupled method to enhance PQ in PV-based microgrids. The CMLI is renamed as C-11-I to reflect its capability of generating an 11-level output voltage, which offers a compact and costeffective solution with enhanced voltage levels. For maximum power extraction, incremental conductance method is used. Additionally, a novel battery controller based on enhanced battery management approach (EBMA) is integrated to offer excellent power management by offering both charging or discharging conditions. The developed microgrid system's performance was evaluated through extensive verifications under various test scenarios, including fluctuating environmental conditions and dynamic battery operations.