Cross-Tied Bypass Diodes in Small-Area High-Voltage PV Module for Nearly Ideal Partial Shading Performance in Urban Applications

Abstract

Urgent demand for renewable energy coupled with rapid urbanization and limited space in urban environments requires innovative photovoltaic (PV) module designs that can efficiently address significant power loss under shading. This research proposes small-area high-voltage (SAHiV) modules equipped with cross-tied bypass diodes at the module level. SAHiV modules are pseudo-high-voltage, low-current principle that improve the efficiency and reliability of PV modules under various shading conditions. This study involves extensive simulations with experimental validation to compare the performance of conventional, shingled, and SAHiV PV modules under the influence of various bypass diode connection configurations generally used at the array scale. In particular, five diode configurations are intensively considered with total cross-tied (TCT) modifications of level arrays to determine the optimal configuration. In addition, we tested the power output using the methods of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and fixed voltage under standard test conditions (V_STC). The results show that SAHiV PV modules substantially outperform conventional and shingled PV modules for maintaining high power under various shading conditions with nearly ideal PV performance in some TCT connections. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing bypass diode connections to improve PV system performance, safety, and lifetime and offer a practical solution to partial shading.