Abstract: Apparatus for use in a microgrid, which comprises a DC bus with at least one DC power source connected thereto, an AC bus connected to a mains power grid that supplies the microgrid, and a DC/AC converter coupling the DC bus and the AC bus, wherein the DC/AC converter may be a one-way DC/AC inverter or a bidirectional DC/AC converter, the apparatus comprising a control system, which is configured to control number (at least one) DC power converters, each of which is configured to couple a respective controllable DC load to the DC bus, and to control the power flowing from the DC bus to each of the number controllable DC loads, so as to control each of the number controllable DC loads to fulfil its function and the voltage on the DC bus.

Abstract: Electrical coupling apparatus for electrically coupling the output of a plurality of strings of photovoltaic modules to the input of a DC/AC inverter in parallel in a solar photovoltaic power system, the electrical coupling apparatus comprising a selective switching apparatus and at least one DC/DC converter. The selective switching apparatus may be configured to couple each of the plurality of strings of photovoltaic modules to the inverter either via a first electrical coupling path not comprising a DC/DC converter or via a second electrical coupling path comprising a DC/DC converter and selectively electrically couple any one of the plurality of strings of photovoltaic modules to the inverter via the second electrical coupling path by electrically coupling the string to the inverter via the at least one DC/DC converter.