A Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique for PV under Partial Shading Condition

Abstract

Tracking the Maximum Power Point (MPP) of Photovoltaic (PV) modules is very important to increase the utilization efficiency. Under partially shading conditions, the P-V curve shows multiple peaks; therefore, the function of the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques are to track the global power point and avoid operation at the local peaks. One of the most effective methods especially in partial shading conditions is Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) technique. This paper presents a design of the FLC based MPPT in addition to the scanning system that can differentiate between the global and local MPPs and tracks the global one. The system is formed from a PV array coupled with a DC microgrid through a boost converter. Simulation results are provided using MATLAB/SIMULINK to evaluate the performance of the used MPPT method to track the global power point under various partial shading patterns.