Improvement of Shade Resilience in Photovoltaic Modules Using Buck Converters in a Smart Module Architecture

S Zahra Mirbagheri Golroodbari,Arjen C De Waal,Wilfried G J H M Van Sark

doi:10.3390/en11010250

S Zahra Mirbagheri Golroodbari, Arjen C De Waal + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en11010250

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Journal: Energies	Publication Date: Jan 19, 2018
Citations: 11	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Utrecht University

Abstract

Partial shading has a nonlinear effect on the performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Different methods of optimizing energy harvesting under partial shading conditions have been suggested to mitigate this issue. In this paper, a smart PV module architecture is proposed for improvement of shade resilience in a PV module consisting of 60 silicon solar cells, which compensates the current drops caused by partial shading. The architecture consists of groups of series-connected solar cells in parallel to a DC-DC buck converter. The number of cell groups is optimized with respect to cell and converter specifications using a least-squares support vector machine method. A generic model is developed to simulate the behavior of the smart architecture under different shading patterns, using high time resolution irradiance data. In this research the shading patterns are a combination of random and pole shadows. To investigate the shade resilience, results for the smart architecture are compared with an ideal module, and also ordinary series and parallel connected architectures. Although the annual yield for the smart architecture is 79.5% of the yield of an ideal module, we show that the smart architecture outperforms a standard series connected module by 47%, and a parallel architecture by 13.4%.

Highlights

It is commonly acknowledged that fossil fuel-based generation presents serious challenges to the environment, in terms of global warming, climate change, and society at large
The described model is implemented to simulate the behavior of the smart module as well as the other described architectures under different shading patterns
Experimental irradiance data is used as our model input, which is acquired at the Utrecht Photovoltaic Outdoor Test facility (UPOT) at Utrecht University campus in the center of the Netherlands

Summary

Introduction

It is commonly acknowledged that fossil fuel-based generation presents serious challenges to the environment, in terms of global warming, climate change, and society at large. It is commonly acknowledged that renewable energy sources (RES) are viable, clean, and efficient alternatives. Amongst the RES, photovoltaic (PV) systems, which are maintenance and pollution free [1,2,3], have been increasingly used as the main source of power generation in both standalone and grid-connected residential and large-scale systems [3]. Energy harvesting from a PV module under uniform irradiation is possible by connecting it to an inverter that implements a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm along with a DC-AC converter.

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