Quadrant swapping technique for partial shaded solar photovoltaic system

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy Systems
• Photovoltaic Technology
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Solar energy is crucial for sustainable development, but partial shading significantly reduces photovoltaic (PV) array efficiency.
• Existing PV array reconfiguration methods struggle with specific configurations like series-parallel (SP) and total-cross-tie (TCT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel quadrant swapping reconfiguration algorithm for PV arrays experiencing partial shading.
• To improve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and overall energy yield in compromised solar installations.

Main Methods:

• A 4x4 PV array matrix was utilized with a switching matrix integrated into the quadrant swapping algorithm.
• Ten distinct partial shading scenarios were randomly applied to test the algorithm's effectiveness.
• Techno-economic analysis was performed to assess the financial viability of the proposed method.

Main Results:

• The quadrant swapping technique successfully enhanced output power across all tested partial shading conditions, reaching a peak of 136 W.
• Zero mismatch and power loss were achieved in three specific shading scenarios.
• The algorithm demonstrated improvements in output power, fill factor, and reductions in power and mismatch losses.

Conclusions:

• The proposed quadrant swapping method offers a superior solution for mitigating partial shading effects in PV systems compared to traditional approaches.
• This technique is scalable and economically viable for enhancing the performance of large-scale solar energy projects.