Energy capture improvement of a solar PV system using a multilevel inverter

The challenges with solar energy extraction are addressed in the proposed approach through development and demonstration of a multilevel inverter architecture and the associated control algorithms. The proposed system suggests how to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) from individual panels rather than from a centralized structure. A nine-level cascaded multilevel inverter with a total capacity of 800 watts was successfully implemented and tested. The simulation and the experimental results show that the currents drawn from the individual solar PV arrays using the developed algorithm are very close to the commanded inputs so that the arrays can operate at their individual maximum power points. The overall system minimizes the shading effect and improve the per panel energy capture as well as increase the overall energy harvest.