Comparison study of five maximum power point tracking techniques for photovoltaic energy systems

Abstract

Since the output characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) system depends on the ambient temperature, solar radiation and load impedance, its maximum power point (MPP) is not constant. Under each condition PV module has a point at which it can produce its MPP. Therefore, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods can be used to uphold the PV panel operating at its MPP. In this survey, five MPPT algorithms are presented and compared under different atmosphere conditions: Perturb and Observe (P&O) Methods, Incremental Conductance (IncCond) Methods, Constant Voltage (CV), Short Circuit Current (SCC) and Open Circuit Voltage (OCV). These algorithms are widely used in PV systems as a result of their easy implementation as well as their low cost. These techniques were analysed and their performance was evaluated by using the Matlab tool Simulink under various types of solar radiation and temperature. The IncCond method was the most efficient, at rapidly changing conditions