The considered shunt active power filter can be controlled not only to compensate non-active current in the supply source, but additionally to optimize energy flow between the source and the load. In such a case the filter shapes the source current to be active and simultaneously regulates its magnitude. The presented filter/buffer can operate properly even when the load contains AC or DC variable energy source of any characteristic. The device can optimize energy flow for a single load, but also for a group of loads as well. The distinctive feature of the employed control method of the filter/buffer is that certain changes of energy stored in the device are utilized as the source of information concerning the active current of the load. This control method is very flexible and can be implemented to nearly all structures of active filters, for DC, single- and multiphase circuits.

This paper presents a load equivalent conductance based control method for a shunt active power filter. The principle of energy balance in the circuit, which means between supplying source - active filter - load, is used to obtain the control formula. The natural inertia of the active filter action is exploited, so no PI regulators are needed. The active filter can compensate for non-active current and, additionally, can stabilise the supplying source active power. In a case of generating loads energy harvesting is possible. The presented method is useful as well for voltage-source as current-source inverter based active filters, and for DC system as well as for AC single- or three-phase one.