A Modified Firefly Algorithm for Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Under Partial Shading

Photovoltaic modules subjected to partial shading conditions (PSC) can drastically decrease their power output. Hence, there have been various maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control algorithms developed to reduce or counteract the shading effects. Recently, a new metaheuristic algorithm known as firefly algorithm (FA) was developed, which, under PSC, has been shown to successfully track the global maximum point (GMP). Nevertheless, the FA still has some inherent problems that may hinder the performance of the MPPT. This paper modifies the existing FA to counteract these problems. As will be demonstrated in this paper, the proposed modified FA method can reduce the number of computation operations and the time for converging to the GMP that the existing FA requires. Experimental results show that the proposed method can track the global point under various PSC, has a faster convergence time compared with the FA, and can effectively suppress power and voltage fluctuations.