System and method for protecting a power converter during a undesirable voltage event

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for protecting a power converter 162 of a renewable energy power supply system and / or a separate energy storage system 200 is connected to a power grid 160, while an undesired voltage event, as an event of the through-running high voltage (HVRT). In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a current-voltage parameter of the power converter 162 via a control system 174, wherein the current-voltage parameters undesired voltage event is indicative that occurs in the power supply network 160th Another step includes transferring energy from a DC intermediate circuit 136 of the power converter 162 to one or more energy storage devices 212 of an energy storage system 200 is connected to the power converter 162, via a switching power supply device 220 when the current-voltage parameter indicates that an undesirable voltage event occurs.