Optimizing solar panel maximum power point tracking and parasitic parameter extraction in partial shading with Enhanced Slime Mold optimization

Abstract

Solar energy offers several environmental, economic, and energy security advantages. Parasitic parameters and shading on solar panels can reduce efficiency. This paper presents a bio-inspired Enhanced Slime Mold (ESM) algorithm search strategy to find near-optimal power points by simulating the behaviour of slime molds in a virtual environment. In a solar panel, proposed ESM provides not only for parameter extraction but also serves as Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) during Partial Shading Conditions (PSC). The proposed ESM dynamic behaviour is examined under solar irradiation and various temperature conditions. The effectiveness of proposed technique has been validated by extracting parameters from conventional polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules in the form of a 5 S–5P arrangement. In the instance of MPPT operation, the proposed ESM algorithm is compared with Ant Bee Colony and Perturb& Observe (ABC-PO) to determine its efficacy. Moreover, during extraction of unknown parameters of solar cell ESM is compared with existing optimization algorithms such as Artificial Bee Swarm Optimization (ABSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Covariant Matrix (CM), Ant Bee Colony (ABC), and Advanced Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO). In this connection, proposed ESM algorithm is superior to the above-mentioned algorithms due to high accuracy, a smaller number of computations, and minimum computational time.