Optimal total cross tied interconnection for photovoltaic arrays to reduce partial shading losses

The condition of having different irradiance levels among different photovoltaic modules in a photovoltaic array is called partial shading. Energy losses have been reported to occur due to partial shading. These losses could be reduced by reconnecting the modules of the array in such a way that the overall impact of partial shading on the array is reduced. This paper proposes a novel optimization model for the optimal total cross tied interconnection which significantly reduces partial shading losses. The improvement over ordinary total-cross-tied interconnection has been demonstrated by extensive simulation results. The patent number PCT/CA2011/000556 has been filed based on this work.