Le travail de thèse, présenté dans ce mémoire, est consacré à l'étude de nouveaux matériaux d'électrode pour batterie lithium-ion pour le stockage d'énergie photovoltaïque. Ce type de production d'énergie impose de nombreuses intermittences de charge, des non synchronisations entre les périodes de production et de consommation, etc. L'objectif est d'évaluer le comportement de différents types de matériau d'électrode dans des batteries soumises à des profils de charge photovoltaïque pour ensuite sélectionner les plus adaptés à ce stockage spécifique d'énergie. Les matériaux choisis, Li4Ti5O12, Li2Ti3O7, NiP3, TiSnSb, présentent tous des mécanismes de réaction vis-à-vis du lithium très différents. Afin d'améliorer la durée de vie de ces matériaux d'électrodes, un travail d'optimisation des performances électrochimiques a été effectué en travaillant sur leur synthèse puis sur la formulation des électrodes. La formulation d'électrode en utilisant la carboxymethylcellulose sodique a notamment donné d'excellents résultats. La caractérisation de leurs propriétés physico-chimiques a été réalisée par diffraction des rayons X, in situ et en température, MEB, ATD, cyclage galvanostatique, etc.). Afin de reproduire des profils représentatifs de la production photovoltaïque à l'échelle des accumulateurs expérimentaux de laboratoire, un banc de simulation a été élaboré et validé avec un accumulateur de référence à base de Li4Ti5O12. Après cette étape de validation, les différents matériaux d'électrode ont été testés en condition photovoltaïque. Cette étude a permis de montrer que les intermittences de courte de durée (passages nuageux) et les régimes variables qu'impose ce type de production n'ont pas que peu d'influence sur les propriétés électrochimiques de l'ensemble de ces matériaux. Cependant, les périodes d'absence de production (nuit, journée pluvieuse, etc.) correspondant à une relaxation pour le matériau peuvent avoir un impact important. Les matériaux de conversion (NiP3, TiSnSb) ont montré de surprenants bons résultats. Enfin, les observations montrent que chaque type de matériau (mécanisme électrochimique différent) pourrait convenir i) à un type de production photovoltaïque, c'est à dire à une zone géographique et ii) à un type d'application particulière. / The thesis work, presented in this manuscript, is devoted to the study of new materials for lithium-ion battery for storing solar energy. This type of energy production imposes intermittent loading, non-synchronization between periods of production and consumption, etc. The objective is to evaluate the behavior of different types of electrode material in batteries under photovoltaic (PV) charge profiles and then to select the most suitable for this specific energy storage. The chosen materials, Li4Ti5O12, Li2Ti3O7, NiP3, TiSnSb, follow all very different reaction mechanisms versus lithium. To improve the cycling life of these electrode materials, a work on electrochemical performance optimization was performed by working on the synthesis and the electrode formulation. The electrode formulation, using in particular carboxymethyl cellulose, presented excellent results. Characterization of their physico-chemical properties was carried out by X-ray diffraction, in situ and as function of temperature, SEM, DTA, galvanostatic cycling, etc.). To reproduce representative profiles of the photovoltaic production at the experimental batteries scale, a test bench has been developed and validated with reference batteries (Li4Ti5O12). After this step of validation, different electrode materials were tested under photovoltaic conditions. This study shows that both intermittences with short duration (clouds) and variable rates of current imposed by this type of production don't strong influence on the electrochemical properties of all these materials. However, periods of no production (night, rainy day, etc.), corresponding to a relaxation for the material, can impact significantly. Materials following conversion mechanism (NiP3, TiSnSb) showed surprising good results. Finally, the observations indicated that each type of material (with different electrochemical mechanism) could be adapted to i) a type of photovoltaic production, ie to a geographical area and ii) a type of application.

O Brasil é afortunado com sua riqueza natural e tradicionalmente faz bom uso do potencial hídrico e de biocombustíveis para compor sua matriz energética. Na década de 2010, o destaque está na implementação na matriz elétrica nacional, de sistemas de energia eólica e de energia solar fotovoltaica, estes últimos com expectativa de acentuada expansão. Alguns fatores levam a esta expectativa, como a boa irradiação solar em grande parte do país, custo da energia fotovoltaica próximo às tarifas de energia elétrica vigente, e ambiente regulatório que estimula investidores. Este trabalho descreve a saga dos atores do setor elétrico brasileiro em propiciar o desenvolvimento da cadeia da energia fotovoltaica e enfatiza a importância dos recursos humanos especializados na área. O arcabouço legal e tributário, que embasa as políticas publica de estímulo, as ações de padronização dos sistemas, as pesquisas desenvolvidas e as ações para capacitar profissionais, a partir de 1991 até 2017, estão ordenados. O cenário mundial mostra que o aumento da potência instalada de sistemas que utilizam as fontes alternativas de energia renovável leva à geração de empregos, que exigem novos conhecimentos e habilidades. A expansão, no Brasil, do número de instalações de usinas centralizadas e sistemas de geração distribuída fotovoltaica no país leva ao aumento de postos de trabalho. Um dos desafios para a continuidade da disseminação dos sistemas fotovoltaicos, que exige um contingente elevado de recursos humanos, está na formação de profissionais. São profissionais para concepção, instalação, comercialização, operação e manutenção dos sistemas. No cenário mundial, entre as modalidades de energia renovável, a cadeia da energia fotovoltaica é a que apresenta maior número de postos de trabalho por quilowatt instalado, representando cerca de 30% dos postos de trabalho. Este trabalho também aponta caminhos para a implementação de cursos na área de energia renovável e eficiência energética na Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica, com foco na inserção da energia fotovoltaica, seus sistemas e instalações. Para a consolidação do mercado da energia fotovoltaica é essencial que haja disponibilidade de profissionais que garantam a segurança e a eficiência na produção das instalações dos sistemas ao longo de sua vida útil. O desenvolvimento da cadeia de energia solar fotovoltaica promove a oportunidade de agregar energia sustentável à matriz energética, promove a geração de empregos e renda pelo extenso território nacional. O desenvolvimento da referida cadeia não prescinde da estruturação de uma rede de ensino com foco na área fotovoltaica. / Brazil is fortunate in natural resources and traditionally makes good use of water potential and biofuels in its energy matrix. In the 2010-decade the highlight is in the setting up of large-scale wind energy and photovoltaic solar energy systems, these last with a forecast of marked expansion. Some factors give support to this expectation; good solar irradiation in most of the countrys surface, cost reduction of photovoltaic energy being close to the current electricity tariffs and a regulatory system stimulating investors. This work describes the Brazilian electric sector actors saga on the photovoltaic energy chain development, whilst highlights the importance of photovoltaic specialized human resources. The legal and tributary framework, which is the basis of the public policy stimulus, PV systems standardization actions, the developed research, as well as the professionals training actions, from 1991 to 2017, are described. The world scenario shows that the capacity increase of renewable energy systems leads to jobs creation, which requires new knowledge and skills. The growth number of centralized generation plants and distributed photovoltaic generation systems, leads to the increase of jobs in Brazil. One of the challenges for the continuity of the photovoltaic systems dissemination, which requires a high contingent of human resources, lies in the training of professionals. These are professionals trained for the design, installation, commercialization and systems operation and maintenance. In the world scenario, among the renewable energy modalities, the photovoltaic energy chain is the one that exhibits the highest number of jobs per installed kilowatt, representing about 30% of the jobs. This work describes the renewable energy and energy efficiency courses implanted at the Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica focusing on the insertion of photovoltaic energy, its systems and facilities. The availability of skilled personnel is mandatory to ensure the photovoltaic energy market consolidation. Those professionals are needed to ensure the safety and the efficiency of energy production systems throughout their life cycle. The development of the photovoltaic solar energy chain promotes the opportunity to add sustainable energy to the energy matrix, promotes the generation of jobs and financial income throughout the national territory. The development of the PV chain cannot neglect the need to increase of a teaching network focused on the photovoltaic area.

Este trabalho faz uma compilação e análise sobre a intersecção entre energia, capitalismo e desenvolvimento. A partir desse ponto comum, observa-se que a energia fotovoltaica pode ser importante vetor para o estabelecimento de projetos de inclusão social e desenvolvimento sustentável. A viabilidade econômica também é um ponto fundamental para o sucesso de médio e longo prazo desses projetos. Conclui-se que o custo da energia, no caso a fotovoltaica, representa parcela pouco significativa em relação ao custo total do projeto. / The present work analysis the intersection between energy, capitalism and development. It is verified that photovoltaic energy (PV) can be an important driver to help establishing social inclusiveness and sustainable development. Economic viability is considered one of the main points for the success of these projects in the medium and long terms. In conclusion, it is realized that the cost of energy (in the case PV energy) represents a small amount in relation to the total project cost.

Orientador: Jorge Muniz Junior / Resumo: A eficiência energética nos diversos setores consumidores do extremo norte brasileiro e a opção adjacente voltada à produção de energia fotovoltaica e a sua injeção na rede local têm consequências positivas, tanto pela mitigação relacionada às emissões de gases de efeito estufa (GEE), quanto pelo consumo e uso de energia. A necessidade de energia residencial, comercial, industrial e poder público em Roraima consiste principalmente de requisitos de energia elétrica para iluminação, ar-condicionado, geladeira e freezer, juntamente com a energia dedicada aos eletrodomésticos, diferentes estratégias que visam estimular o uso eficiente de energia precisam ser reforçadas em todos os níveis da atividade humana local. A radiação solar é uma das principais fontes de energia limpa e renovável do Estado, com o potencial de fornecer energia limpa e abundante a longo prazo para a crescente população roraimense. Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender o consumo médio em edifícios residencial, comercial e poder público dos Estados de Roraima e São Paulo, tendo como objetos de estudo: um campus do IFRR, um campus da UNESP, três residências localizadas na capital Boa Vista, uma residência situada em Guaratinguetá e uma fonte de energia fotovoltaica distribuída com potência instalada de 66 kWp (quilowatt-pico). Esta pesquisa seguiu as seguintes etapas: em primeiro lugar foi realizado uma ampla pesquisa bibliográfica na base de dados da Web of Science, Scopus, Google Acadêmico e outras base... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Le sujet s'inscrit dans la stratégie d'augmentation de la pénétration des énergies renouvelables dans les réseaux électriques, en particulier ceux qui sont faiblement interconnectés, tels que les réseaux électriques insulaires. Une limite de pénétration des énergies intermittentes de 30% en puissance instantanée dans ces réseaux a été fixée par la loi française. Pour permettre de dépasser cette limite, une solution est de coupler les sources de production décentralisée et intermittente avec du stockage.Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés au volant d’inertie, système de stockage permettant de convertir l’énergie électrique sous forme cinétique et vice versa. Celui-ci a en effet un nombre de cycles charge/décharge important en comparaison avec une batterie électrochimique et peut être utilisé pour lisser la production photovoltaïque. La fluctuation de l’énergie photovoltaïque est en effet faiblement prédictible au cours du temps et elle ne peut pas être contrôlée, notamment sa chute de production. La production photovoltaïque peut chuter jusqu’à 80 % de la puissance maximale en 30 secondes, et déstabiliser ainsi le réseau électrique. Le réseau électrique insulaire, tel que celui de la Corse, n’est pas interconnecté au réseau électrique continental. Les réseaux non – interconnectés sont plus fragiles et moins stables. Ainsi, le développement massif des centrales photovoltaïques peut faire fluctuer la fréquence et la tension du réseau. Le volant d’inertie a l’avantage de posséder un faible temps de réponse (quelques centaines de millisecondes). Cependant, il a une capacité énergétique moindre. Nous allons donc exploiter les avantages du volant d’inertie en le gérant en temps réel avec un calculateur approprié. Un volant d’inertie d’une puissance de 15 kVA et d’une capacité énergétique de 112 Wh a été caractérisé et testé à l’INES Chambéry en utilisant un simulateur réseau temps réel (RTLab®), un calculateur temps réel dSPACE® et une centrale PV. Le système de stockage est composé d’une machine électrique asynchrone et d’un volant d’inertie cylindrique en acier. Le logiciel Matlab/Simulink® est utilisé pour implémenter les lois de commande nécessaires à son pilotage. Dans cette thèse, le banc de test est présenté ainsi que les résultats sur les services système (lissage de puissance, régulation de la fréquence et de la tension). Trois méthodes de lissage de puissance sont présentées et évaluées (lissage avec une fonction de transfert, lissage avec limiteur de pente et lissage n’utilisant pas aucune fonction de lissage). La troisième méthode n’utilisant ni une fonction de transfert, ni une fonction limitant la pente des variations, nécessite moins de paramètres et s’avère plus optimale et plus robuste. Un volant d’inertie avec une autre technologie de machine électrique (la machine à réluctance variable) a été également caractérisé. C’est une Alimentation Sans Interruption (ASI), sur laquelle des paramètres tels que l’autodécharge et les rendements du système (en charge, en décharge et au repos) ont pu être mesurés. / The subject is part of the strategy to increase the penetration of renewable energy in power systems, particularly those that are poorly interconnected, such as island grids. A limit of penetration of intermittent energy by 30% in instantaneous power in these electrical grids was set by a French law. To help overcome this limitation, a solution is to couple the sources of decentralized and intermittent generation with energy storage systems. In this thesis, we are interested in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) that converts electrical energy in kinetic energy form and vice versa. FESS have a number of cycles charge / discharge large compared with electrochemical batteries and can be used to smooth the photovoltaic power generation. The fluctuation of photovoltaic instantaneous power is indeed weakly predictable over time and it cannot be controlled, including its production fall. PV production can decrease up to 80% of its maximum power in 30 seconds, and so destabilize the grid. The island grids, such as that of Corsica, are not interconnected to the mainland power grid. The non - interconnected grids are more fragile and less stable. Thus, the massive development of photovoltaic power plants can cause fluctuations in the frequency and voltage. The flywheel has the advantage of having a low response time (a few hundred milliseconds). However, it has a lower energy capacity. The benefits of FESS are used by managing it in real time with an appropriate computer. A flywheel with a power of 15 kVA and an energy capacity of 112 Wh was characterized and tested at INES Chambery using a real time grid simulator (RTLab®), a real-time computer (dSPACE®) and a PV power plant. The storage system is composed by an asynchronous electrical machine and a cylindrical steel flywheel. The Matlab Simulink / software is used to implement the control laws necessary for its control. In this thesis, the test bench is presented and the results of ancillary services (power smoothing, frequency and voltage regulation). Three power smoothing methods are discussed and evaluated (smoothing with a transfer function, with a slope limiter function and a method not using any smoothing function). The third method uses neither a transfer function, nor a function that limits the slope variations, requires fewer parameters, and is more optimal and more robust. A flywheel with another electrical machine technology (the switched reluctance machine) has also been characterized. This is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) on which parameters such as self-discharge and efficiencies (charging mode, discharging mode and standby mode) were measured.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-11-17T12:33:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Leandro Marcio Langoski_.pdf: 1055769 bytes, checksum: 05ac48d6db85bfa21f53dd99ca78b6ea (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-17T12:33:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leandro Marcio Langoski_.pdf: 1055769 bytes, checksum: 05ac48d6db85bfa21f53dd99ca78b6ea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-31 / Nenhuma / Este trabalho aborda os Sistemas Produto-Serviço (PSS), uma estratégia de inovação com o propósito de integrar produto e serviço visando atender as necessidades do cliente e reduzir os impactos ambientais. O objeto empírico é a geração de energia fotovoltaica, e, utilizando-se do estudo de caso, trabalha-se com dois tipos de PSS: o orientado ao produto e o orientado ao uso. Com a REN 482/2012, a ANEEL permitiu a geração distribuída, ou seja, uma residência, indústria ou comércio pode gerar a sua própria energia. A tese analisa como ocorre a escolha de um PSS na geração de energia fotovoltaica. Para isso, três atores são investigados: distribuidoras de energia elétrica, empresas que comercializam equipamentos de geração de energia FV e os consumidores (pessoa jurídica). Alguns itens são debatidos nas análises, como as táticas de implementação de um PSS (contratos, marketing, design de produto e serviço, e rede de atores), sustentabilidade e a cadeia da energia elétrica no Brasil. Os resultados apontam que novidades tecnológicas, equipamentos de longa duração e o modelo de mercado tradicional podem influenciar na escolha de um PSS e, assim, determinar o modelo de negócio. / This thesis approaches the Product-Service Systems (PSS), an innovation strategy with the purpose of integrating product and service in order to meet customer needs and reducing environmental impacts. The empirical object is the generation of photovoltaic energy, and, by using the case study, works with two types of PSS: the product-oriented and the use-oriented. With REN 482/2012, ANEEL allowed the distributed generation, that is, a residence, industry or enterprise can generate their own energy. The thesis analyzes how to choose a PSS in the generation of photovoltaic energy. For this, three parties are investigated: electric power distributors, companies that sell PV power generation equipment and consumers (legal entity). Some items are discussed in the analysis, such as the tactics of implementing a PSS (contracts, marketing, product and service design, and network of the actors), sustainability and the electric energy chain in Brazil. The results indicate that technological innovations, long-term equipment and the traditional market model can influence the choice of a PSS and, thus, determine the business model.

Este trabalho propÃe o desenvolvimento de uma fonte de alimentaÃÃo portÃtil para notebooks e outros equipamentos eletrÃnicos usando energia fotovoltaica. O sistema completo à composto por dois mÃdulos fotovoltaicos poli-cristalinos de 54W conectados em paralelo; um conversor boost clÃssico usado para controlar a carga das baterias de chumbo-Ãcido reguladas a vÃlvula (VRLA-Valve Regulated Lead Acid) de 40 Ah associadas em sÃrie formando um barramento de 24Vcc e um conversor boost-flyback que tem a funÃÃo de elevar a tensÃo do banco de baterias de 24Vcc a uma tensÃo de saÃda de 250Vcc. O conversor boost utiliza o algoritmo perturba e observa (P&O) para conseguir o ponto de mÃxima potÃncia dos mÃdulos fotovoltaicos. Por outro lado, no conversor boost-flyback que opera em modo de conduÃÃo contÃnua (MCC) à usada a tÃcnica de controle por corrente de pico. Para verificar o princÃpio de funcionamento da fonte de alimentaÃÃo de dois estÃgios, o primeiro estÃgio foi desenvolvido com potÃncia de saÃda de 120W e o segundo estÃgio com potÃncia de saÃda de 200W. / This study proposes the development of a portable power supply to feed notebook computers and other electronic equipment using photovoltaic energy. The complete system is composed by two polycrystalline photovoltaic modules of 54W in parallel, a classic boost converter that allows to work the photovoltaic modules in the maximum power point (MPP) and to charge two lead-acid valve regulated batteries (VRLA Valve-Regulated Lead Acid) of 40Ah associates in series to form a bus of 24Vcc, and a boost-flyback converter that has as function to raise the battery bank voltage of 24Vcc to output voltage of 250Vcc. The boost converter uses the algorithm perturb and observe (P&O) to track the maximum power point of the photovoltaic modules. On the other hand, in the boost-flyback converter operates in continuous conduction mode (CCM) using peak current mode control technique to regulate the output voltage. To verify the feasibility of the two stage power supply, was developed a prototype with first stage of 120W output power, and the second stage of 200W output power.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O presente trabalho apresenta o estudo de um conversor CC/CC com dois estÃgios para aplicaÃÃo no desenvolvimento de sistemas autÃnomos de energia elÃtrica. O conversor sob estudo consiste basicamente da associaÃÃo de dois conversores CC/CC, em que entre eles à inserido um banco de baterias para dar continuidade ao fornecimento de energia em perÃodos em que nÃo hà radiaÃÃo solar. Todos os conversores utilizados para a composiÃÃo do sistema sÃo do tipo boost utilizando a cÃlula de comutaÃÃo de trÃs estados (CCTE). O primeiro conversor tem a funÃÃo enviar energia desde os painÃis fotovoltaicos a um banco de baterias de 48 V e permitir a operaÃÃo dos painÃis fotovoltaicos no ponto de mÃxima potÃncia (MPP- Maximum Power Point). O segundo estÃgio à constituÃdo por um conversor de alto ganho de tensÃo, cujo papel à elevar a tensÃo do banco de baterias de 48 V para uma tensÃo de 400 Vcc, formando assim o barramento de saÃda do sistema em tensÃo contÃnua. Para garantir a regulaÃÃo da tensÃo em 400 Vcc, foi implementada a tÃcnica de controle LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator). Para o projeto do controle LQR à utilizado uma metodologia simplificada para a obtenÃÃo de um modelo reduzido do conversor de alto ganho de tensÃo. Para cada estÃgio à apresentado seu estudo teÃrico, anÃlise de perdas e dimensionamento dos componentes para o atendimento das especificaÃÃes de projeto. Para verificar a anÃlise teÃrica foi montado um protÃtipo para cada estÃgio e os resultados experimentais sÃo apresentados neste trabalho. / This work presents a study of a DC/DC converter with two stages for implementation of a stand-alone photovoltaic power system. The converter under study consists of two DC/DC converters, in which between them is inserted a battery bank to give continuity to the energy supply in periods when there isnât solar radiation. All converters used for the composition of the system are of type boost based on the three-state switching cell (TSSC). The first converter has function of to send energy from photovoltaic panels to a battery bank of 48 V formed by four batteries of 12V connected in series, and its function is to allow the photovoltaic panels operation at the maximum power point (MPP). The second stage consists of a converter of high voltage gain, whose role is to raise the 48 V battery bank voltage to 400V DC output bus voltage. To ensure the regulation of voltage at 400 V DC, was implemented the control LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator). To design the controller LQR, a simplified methodology to obtain a model of the high-gain voltage converter is used. For each stage is presented its theoretical study, analysis and the components were designed and specified. To verify the theoretical analysis, was developed a prototype for each stage and the experimental results are presented in this work.

The declining cost of photovoltaic (PV) modules has enabled the vision of ubiquitous photovoltaic (PV) power to become feasible. Emerging PV technologies are facilitating the creation of intentionally non-flat PV modules, which create new applications for this sustainable energy generation currently not possible with the traditional rigid, flat silicon-glass modules. However, since the photovoltaic cells are no longer coplanar, there are significant new requirements for the power electronics necessary to convert the native form of electricity into a usable form and ensure maximum energy harvest. Non-uniform insolation from cell-to-cell gives rise to non-uniform current density in the PV material, which limits the ability to create series-connected cells without bypass diode or other ways to shunt current, which is well known in the maximum power tracking literature. This thesis presents a modeling approach to determine and quantify the variations in generation of energy due to intentionally non-flat PV geometries. This will enable the power electronics circuitry to be optimized to harvest maximum energy from PV pixel elements – clusters of PV cells with similar operating characteristics. This thesis systematically compares different geometries with identical two-dimensional projection "footprints" for energy harvest throughout the day. The results show that for the same footprint, a semi-cylindrical surface harvests more energy over a typical day than a flat plate. The modeling approach is then extended to demonstrate that by using non flat geometries for PV panel, the availability of a remotely located stand-alone power system can be increased when compared to a flat panel of same footprint. These results have broad application to a variety of energy scavenging scenarios in which either total energy harvested needs to be maximized or unusual geometries for the PV active surfaces are required, including building-integrated PV. This thesis develops the analysis of the potential energy harvest gain for advanced non-planar PV collectors as a necessary first step towards the design of the power electronics circuits and control algorithms to take advantage of the new opportunities of conformal and non-flat PV collectors.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In photovoltaic systems, the lowest energy cost is not always achieved by an inverter with minimized cost or maximized efficiency. It is important to adopt methodologies that optimize the balance between system losses and costs. The Levelized Cost of Electricity minimization methodology, presented in literature, obtains an optimized inverter design, but needs variables like discount rate and maintenance costs. This study proposes a methodology for design and comparison of photovoltaic inverters that is simpler and is based on the adoption of a cost per Watt reference. It minimizes the energy cost considering the photovoltaic initial system cost and design specifications. This methodology is presented in detail, including an inverter design example that analyses losses and cost of all components, and also the irradiance of the photovoltaic installation place. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed methodology. / Em sistemas fotovoltaicos, o menor custo da energia gerada nem sempre é obtido com inversores de custo minimizado ou eficiência maximizada. Para o custo da energia seja minimizado, é importante empregar metodologias de projeto que otimizem o compromisso entre perdas e custos. A metodologia de minimização do custo nivelado da eletricidade, a mais difundida na literatura, permite obter um projeto otimizado do inversor, mas necessita de variáveis como taxa de desconto e custos de manutenção do sistema fotovoltaico. Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia para projeto e comparação de inversores fotovoltaicos mais simples, baseada na adoção de um custo por Watt de referência. Essa metodologia objetiva reduzir o custo da energia produzida considerando apenas o custo inicial do sistema fotovoltaico e as restrições associadas às especificações de projeto. A metodologia proposta é apresentada em detalhes, incluindo um exemplo de projeto de inversor que analisa as perdas e custos dos componentes, além do perfil de irradiação do local de instalação do sistema fotovoltaico. Resultados experimentais são apresentados para validação da metodologia proposta.