Power loss reduction in partially shaded PV arrays by a static SDP technique

Partial Shading plays a vital role in the power generation from PV arrays. It can drastically reduce the power output from PV arrays resulting in multiple maximum peak points in power-voltage characteristics. The power reduction in PV arrays less depends on area of shading but significantly depends on the pattern of shading. In this paper, a static shade dispersion positioning (SDP) technique for modules of PV array to the reduce power loss caused by partial shading has been proposed. The technique aims to reduce the power loss by distributing the effect of partial shading into whole array without changing the electrical configuration of the system. The performance of the proposed technique has been compared with the existing hitherto known conventional topologies i.e. Series-Parallel, Bridge-Linked and Total Cross Tied under various non-uniform and uniform shading conditions. The comparison is done for a 3 x 3 PV array using MATLAB and a prototype field experiment. Also, the proposed SDP technique has been compared with Su Do Ku arrangement and EAR strategy. It is found that the proposed SDP technique excels in performance by maximizing the power generation of PV arrays under various shading conditions and can be easily implemented in field conditions without any complexity. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.