Optimal PV array configurations for partial shading conditions

Abstract

Increasing the effectiveness of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems is a major barrier to their widespread use. Partial shading conditions (PSCs), which are caused by nearby objects like trees, buildings, and clouds, reduce the energy produced by PV systems and may be mitigated by the reconfiguration of PV arrays. A novel approach dubbed a modified series-parallel (MSP) setup, was suggested in this paper and compares its performance to four PV configuration strategies: series-parallel (SP), total-cross-tied (TCT), bridge-linked (BL), and honey-comb (HC). A 3×3 solar array is used in five partial shading arrangements. MATLAB/Simulink simulates all shading conditions. This study indicated that MSP delivers high performance and is superior to all other configurations in terms of maximum power in even and uneven row-shaded cases. in the case of an even column shaded, the performance of (SP, BL, HC, and TCT) was equal in terms of the maximum power obtained, while MSP was the least in comparison. the performance of the TCT configuration was the best compared to the other configuration when shading the PV system vertically unevenly. Finally, for diagonal shading, TCT and MSP configurations work best. Shading loss, mismatch loss and fill factor (FF) results were also compared.