A comparative study of maximum power point tracking algorithms for PV arrays

Abstract

Renewable energy sources like the sun have great potential to change the energy sector. Photovoltaic arrays are required to harness this energy; however, obtaining maximum power from the arrays has always been a challenge. Several authors have proposed different maximum power tracking (MPPT) algorithms. This paper presents a comparative study between the Incremental Conductance and Perturb & Observe MPPT to find the most efficient and effective algorithm at any irradiance and temperature. Simulation and experimentation were conducted with results analyzed and compared. From the analysis, the general observation emerges that the Incremental conductance algorithm is the best performing.