Load current based analog MPPT controller for PV solar systems

Analog maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller circuit for photovoltaic solar panels/cells is an attractive solution due to its low cost and simple implementation. The paper presents an analog Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller for a Photovoltaic (PV) solar system that utilizes the load current to achieve maximum output power from the solar panel. Compared to the existing MPPT controller circuitry which requires multiplication of the sensed PV panel voltage and current to yield panel power, the cost and size of the proposed circuit are reduced. The tracking performance of the proposed MPPT controller is validated by simulation results. The proposed MPPT controller circuit can be further implemented by CMOS technology and fabricated on-chip to perform distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) in PV system.