Device Characterization of Solar Inverters

Solar energy is one of the most significant research thrusts in the modern era. Solar inverters are devices used to convert the DC energy of sunlight into AC energy that can be used on the power grid. Typically, they contain silicon; however, new substances such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride are being tested. These materials could increase the efficiency of solar energy, decrease the overall cost, and are potentially more durable than silicon. In order to determine if these new substances can actually benefit the solar industry, they need to be characterized for different attributes with different parameters. As such, my research has been focused on testing these gallium nitride inverters with different packaging to determine different attributes of the devices and finding a new method of storing the data gathered so that it can be easily searched and implemented into the industry with greater ease.

With this data, it has become necessary to create a database with searching capability, making it easier for these devices to be analyzed. Having a database like this allows for not only the university, but also the industry in general to keep from repeating tests when the data has already been gathered.