Comparative analysis of buck and boost converters applied to different maximum power point tracking techniques for photovoltaic systems

Abstract

This paper proposes a comparative analysis between Buck and Boost DC-DC converters applied for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques in a photovoltaic (PV) system. All experimental tests were carried out upon similar environmental conditions, steady solar irradiation and temperature, with maximum power point loads employed to extract all available power. The control of the PV system is evaluated by means of comparing three MPPTs techniques: Perturb and Observe, Temperature, and Incremental Conductance. In addition, MPPTs tracking factor and power conversion efficiency are investigated for each converter embedded with the respective technique. Finally, the experimental results are compared with the single-diode model approach, which shows the prominence of Boost converter using Perturb and Observe method.