A novel cost effective reconfiguration scheme for consumers to mitigate power losses in TCT configured partially shaded PV array

The power generated by a photovoltaic (PV) array is reduced under partial shading conditions (PSCs). This article proposed a novel cost-effective solar panel relocation technique (SPRT) to dilute the effects of partial shading over the entire PV array and mitigate wiring loss as well as mismatch loss. In this technique, a set of generalized mathematical expressions is proposed to reconfigure the totally cross-tied (TCT) configuration and evaluate the wiring loss of the proposed configuration. To relocate the panels in distinct rows of array for effective shade dispersion, the proposed mathematical expressions are used. In this scheme, the panels of the TCT-configured PV array are relocated one time physically during installation without disturbing the electrical connection. Also, the comparison of SPRT configuration with different existing configurations is carried out for static, dynamic, and random PSCs using simulation and experimental platforms. From the results, it is noted that the %power enhancement (PE) of the SPRT-configured array lies between 4.28% to 27.59%. Also, the probability of PE in the SPRT-configured array with respect to existing configurations is determined for 2000 random PSCs. Finally, the proposed configuration’s efficacy in terms of consumer revenue generation is validated against other methods.