Patch panel for programming a split bus electrical panel for partial or full backup with PV and battery systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12062940-B2
Application number	US-202218089885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2022
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus provides a single split-bus electrical panel with a first panel section that supplies power to non-critical loads and a second panel section to supply photoelectric power to critical loads. A patch panel associated with the split-bus electrical panel is configured to enable an installer to selectively connect factory installed connections to either: (1) connect each panel section directly to utility power for full utility power to both panel sections; (2) alternately to connect the second panel section to the utility power via a microgrid interconnection device when the second panel section is presently at least partially powered by back-up photovoltaic power, or (3) alternately connect both panel sections to full back-up photovoltaic power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing full or partial back-up power of a photovoltaic system to power critical loads during a utility power outage, comprising:
a single, split-bus electrical panel including a first panel section of the split-bus electrical panel configured to supply power to non-critical standard electrical loads and a second panel section of the split-bus electrical panel configured to supply power to critical electrical loads by a back-up system, the critical loads required to be powered during a utility power outage;
a first circuit breaker in the first panel section connected to a first bus bar and a second bus bar of the first panel section, and connected to a first pair of wire terminations, the first circuit breaker configured to conduct power from a power source connected via the first pair of wire terminations;
a second circuit breaker in the second panel section connected to a first bus bar and a second bus bar of the second panel section, and connected to a second pair of wire terminations, the second circuit breaker configured to conduct power from a power source via the second pair of wire terminations; and
a power wiring patch panel associated with the split-bus electrical panel, including a plurality of wire termination locations, the power wiring patch panel configured to enable an installer to selectively connect the first and second pairs of wire terminations to selected wire termination locations of the patch panel to either: (1) connect each panel section directly to utility power for full utility power to both panel sections; (2) alternately to connect the second panel section to the utility power via a microgrid interconnection device when the second panel section is presently at least partially powered by back-up photovoltaic power, or (3) alternately connect both panel sections to full back-up photovoltaic power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the patch panel has a first wire termination location connected to an L 1 phase of a split phase utility power source, and a second wire termination location connected to an L 2 phase of the split phase utility power source;
wherein the patch panel is configured to connect the first wire termination location to third and fourth wire termination locations and configured to connect the second wire termination location to fifth and sixth wire termination locations;
wherein the patch panel is configured to connect an L 1 phase wire termination of the first circuit breaker to the third wire termination location of the patch panel and to connect an L 2 wire termination of the first circuit breaker to the fifth wire termination location of the patch panel, to conduct power from the utility power source to the first panel section;
wherein the patch panel is configured to connect an L 1 phase wire termination of the second circuit breaker to a seventh wire termination location of the patch panel and to connect an L 2 wire termination of the second circuit breaker to an eighth wire termination location of the patch panel;
wherein the patch panel is configured to connect the seventh wire termination location to a ninth wire termination location and to connect the eighth wire termination location to a tenth wire termination location;
wherein the patch panel is configured to conduct power from the utility power source to the second panel section, by a first shorting wire between the fourth wire termination location and the ninth wire termination location of the patch panel, and by a second shorting wire between the sixth wire termination location and the tenth wire termination location of the patch panel, to connect each panel section to normal utility power, but without solar power back-up when there is a utility outage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the patch panel is configured to enable an installer to selectively connect the second panel section to the utility power via first and second relay switches of a relay in a microgrid interconnection device when the second panel section is presently at least partially powered by back-up photovoltaic power, by enabling the installer to selectively remove the first and second shorting wires from the patch panel and enable the installer to connect a first relay switch between the fourth wire termination location and the ninth wire termination location of the patch panel, and by enabling the installer to selectively connect a second relay between the sixth wire termination location and the tenth wire termination location of the patch panel, for partial power back-up of the split-bus panel by powering the first panel section only with utility power and by powering the second panel section with utility power that is backed up with photovoltaic power when there is a utility outage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first and second relay switches in the microgrid interconnection device are coupled to the utility power source and configured to be closed and conduct utility power from the utility power source when there is no utility power outage and to be open when there is a utility power outage.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the patch panel is configured to connect an eleventh wire termination location of the patch panel to the ninth wire termination location and to connect a twelfth wire termination location of the patch panel to the tenth wire termination location;
wherein the patch panel is configured to enable an installer to selectively move the L 1 phase wire termination of the first circuit breaker from the third wire termination location and to connect the L 1 phase wire termination of the first circuit breaker to the eleventh wire termination location of the patch panel and to move the L 2 wire termination of the first circuit breaker from the fifth wire termination location to the twelfth wire termination location of the patch panel, to conduct power from the photovoltaic power source and from the utility power source to the first panel section, for full power back-up of the split-bus panel by powering both the first panel section and the second panel section with utility power that is backed up with photovoltaic power when there is a utility outage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the back-up system includes a back-up power source that includes a rechargeable battery, a charger, an inverter, and an outage detector that is configured to detect when there is a utility power outage and send an outage signal to the relay.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an outage detector is associated with the microgrid connection device and is configured to detect whether there is a utility power outage and to cause a relay to open when a utility power outage is detected.

8. A system for providing full or partial back-up power of a photovoltaic system to power critical loads during a utility power outage, comprising:
a single, split-bus electrical panel including a first panel section of the split-bus electrical panel configured to supply power to non-critical standard electrical loads and a second panel section of the split-bus electrical panel configured to supply power to critical electrical loads by a back-up system, the critical loads required to be powered during a utility power outage;
a first circuit breaker in the first panel section connected to a first bus bar and a second bus bar of the first panel section, and connected to a first pair of wire terminations, the first circuit breaker configured to conduct power from a power source connected via the first pair of wire terminations;
a second circuit breaker in the second panel section connected to a first bus bar and a second bus bar of the second panel section, and connected to a second pair of wire terminations, the second circuit breaker

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Phillips Timothy

Classifications

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02S40/38

  Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules · CPC title

• Y02P80/20

  using renewable energy · CPC title

• Y02B10/70

  Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies · CPC title

• Y02B10/10

  Photovoltaic [PV] · CPC title