An Improved Model-Based Maximum Power Point Tracker for Photovoltaic Panels

It is well known that in a photovoltaic (PV) plant, the modules are connected to switch-mode power converters to enhance the power output in every environmental condition. This task is performed by the maximum power point tracker (MPPT), which provides a current or voltage reference to the converter. Traditional perturb and observe or incremental conductance algorithms are not efficient in rapidly changing conditions, whereas a model-based (MB) MPPT offers a better dynamic performance. Because it is relatively easy to obtain an accurate model of a single PV panel, thus predicting the maximum power point voltage for given environmental conditions, MB MPPTs seemed to be attractive for employing in module integrated converters. Conventional MB MPPT algorithms, however, usually require an expensive pyranometer to properly operate. In this paper, starting from a new set of equations modeling a PV module, a novel MB MPPT technique, which does not require the direct measurement of the solar radiation, is proposed and experimentally validated.