Energy efficiency analysis of various topologies, control techniques and technologies used for photovoltaic panels Part I: On thePV modeling and problem of extracting the maximum power

This part of the paper presents the problem of solar energy conversion into electricity using photovoltaic cells. The mathematical study of PV cells could be made by two models: single diode model and double diode model. By connecting in series several PV cells a PV panel is obtained. Small PV power generators are made by connecting multiple PV modules to form a PV array. Photovoltaic panels can be arranged in various configurations. Besides the insolation level (G) and ambient temperature (T), the PV cell power output depends a lot on panel orientation during a day. Thus the maximum power point (MPP) depends on panel orientation that can be controlled via the sun tracking control schemes. This part of the paper presents a review of the sun tracking systems at level of modeling and performances comparison of the main configurations used in PV systems to connect the PV modules.