Reconfiguration Method to Extract More Power from Partially Shaded Photovoltaic Arrays with Series-Parallel Topology

Abstract

A photovoltaic (PV) array is composed of several panels connected in series-parallel topology in most actual applications. However, partial shading of a PV array can dramatically reduce power generation. This paper presents a new reconfiguration method to extract more power from PV arrays under partial shade conditions. The method is designed using the effective maximum power point current and voltage of a PV panel. Its advantages involve (i) the method reconfigures the PV array without measuring the irradiance profile, and (ii) the reconfiguration is executed on the level of a PV module. Based on these two aspects, the method disperses the shade uniformly within the PV array, reducing the mismatch loss significantly and increasing power generation. The performance of the proposed method is investigated for different shade patterns and results show improved performance under partial shade conditions.