Performance Analysis of Partial Shading Effect on PV Plant

Abstract

Partial shading of PV plants mitigate the maximum power generation of solar modules. As a result, the power output is lower than expected. It is affected not only by the number of shaded modules but also by the shaded patterns. This paper examined a PV plant rated at 15 kW connected in series-parallel for various shading patterns, such as row-wise and column-wise partial shading. This solar plant's behavior is also investigated under various irradiation levels and degrees of shading. The number of solar modules required for this plant was also evaluated. The performance results of solar modules under partial shading conditions, such as power, voltage, and current, are revealed by using the Matlab/Simulik model. From the analysis, the result shows that the column-wise shading condition generates more power output than the row-wise shading condition.