Current based novel adaptive P&O MPPT algorithm for photovoltaic system considering sudden change in the irradiance

Optimum utilization of photovoltaic (PV) energy is possible if PV system is operated at its maximum power point (MPP). Since the MPP varies with change in irradiation and temperature, appropriate algorithm must be incorporated in the PV system to track the MPP. There are number of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms available in the literature with its own merits and demerits. Among different MPPT methods, perturb and observe (P&O) method is most popularly used for its easy implementation and simple structure. But conventional P&O method is sluggish in nature due to its fixed perturb amplitude. To overcome this, an adaptive P&O algorithm is proposed here based on current perturbation which has faster dynamics compared to the conventional P&O method. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using MALAB/Simulink both in steady as well as changing irradiation.