A New Multiplexed–First–Stage Sequential Hybrid MPPT Approach for Photovoltaic Systems

Abstract

In order to maximize the efficiency of the photovoltaic system, it is inevitable to implement a Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) to drive the system to operate at the maximum power point under different weather conditions. The performance of an MPPT technique is mainly evaluated by its accuracy, convergence speed, ease of implementation and the ability to track the Global Maximum Power Point (GMPP) under partial shading conditions. Many MPPT techniques and algorithms were presented in literature. However, each individual or single MPPT techniques managed to achieve one or two of those desired traits, which paved the way to hybridizing MPPT techniques that combined two individual MPPT techniques into one Hybrid to integrate their individual desired performance traits. These Hybrid techniques add up the advantages of individual techniques and eliminate their drawbacks which result in a better overall performance of the MPPT algorithm. However, none of the individual nor the Hybrid MPPT algorithms was successful in combining all four desired aforementioned performance characteristics. This work presents a new approach of tracking the maximum power point of the PV, by combining two Hybrid MPPT algorithms working sequentially with the first stage selected based on the existence of partial shading conditions, in an attempt to achieve an accurate and fast-tracking algorithm that is also capable of tracking the GMPP under partial shading conditions without any added complexity.