A Novel Algorithm to Find Maximum Power Point for Solar Systems under Partial Shading

In this paper, a new two-stage control algorithm to reach the maximum power point in photovoltaic (PV) systems under partially shaded conditions is presented. This algorithm tracks the maximum power point without any need to measure the open circuit voltage, short circuit current and making use of any extra switches. To achieve maximum power performance, the method firstly selects the relevant region of maximum power point based on received radiations from solar panels. After finding the correct power region, the accurate point of maximum power is reached by applying P&O method. Using this algorithm decreases the costs and also finds the MPP with more speed and accuracy at the first cycle. Performance validation of the proposed algorithm, is performed by running simulation on a typical system. The simulation results show the superior performance of the proposed approach in comparison with the conventional methods.