Toward the Design of Control Algorithms for a Photovoltaic Equalizer: Detecting Shadows Through Direct Current Sampling

The photovoltaic (PV) equalizer is a promising response to the problems of partial shading in PV modules. This paper studies its use to detect the presence of the shadow and to estimate its shape. It proposes a shadow model suited for describing the shadow and its changes over time as well as a method for estimating the estate of the shadow. This method is then studied through a theoretical approach, followed by simulations, and all results are validated through measurements.