A static PV array architecture to enhance power generation under partial shaded conditions

It is a well documented fact that partial shading increases mismatch losses and reduces the output of a photovoltaic (PV) system. The reduction in output is not proportional to the shaded area but depends on various other factors like the location of the shaded panel within the array, the interconnection among the panels and the shade geometry. The mismatch losses can be reduced either by altering the interconnection scheme or the location of panels in accordance with the shade. These dynamic methods require more number of sensors, switches and a sophisticated control algorithm. This work proposes a static shade tolerant network which enhances the output under shaded conditions by dispersing the shade all over the array. A generalized algorithm to determine the location of panels within the array is also presented. The proposed algorithm and the network are tested for different array sizes and shading conditions in MatLab-Simulink environment and the results are presented.