An efficient photovoltaic DC village electricity scheme using a sliding mode controller

The paper presents a novel dynamic maximum photovoltaic (PV) power tracking controller using an error driven, error scaled self-adjusting sliding mode controller for maximum PV energy utilization in a low cost stand-alone photovoltaic resort/village electric energy supply scheme. The novel dynamic controller utilizes motor speed trajectory tracking loop with additional dynamic photovoltaic power tracking loop. This ensures both good dynamic speed tracking and near maximum photovoltaic energy utilization at all times, especially under varying ambient temperature (T_x) and solar irradiation (S_x) conditions. The proposed novel dynamic controller requires only the PV array output voltage and current signals and the DC motor speed signals that can be easily measured. Satisfactory results are obtained with the proposed dynamic dual loop controller for the PV array feeding resistive loads (lighting and heating) as well as PMDC motor. The proposed stand-alone (photovoltaic renewable energy supply scheme is suitable for low cost resort/village electricity applications in the range of (150 watts to 15000 watts), mostly for water pumping, water heating, lighting and village irrigation use in arid developing countries