Abstract:  

This study presents a novel search algorithm of maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic power generation systems. The I- V characteristics and the P-V power output under specific irradiation and temperature conditions are simulated. The performance of the algorithm under fully shaded and sudden partially shaded conditions as well as variable insulations levels is investigated. The developed algorithm performs a wide-range search in order to detect rapidly changing weather conditions, and keeps the simulated standalone or grid-connected systems continuously operating close around the maximum power point. The performance of the developed algorithm, under extremely changing environmental conditions, is found to be superior compared to that of other conventional algorithms. The results of this study show that under uniform radiations conditions, the developed algorithm takes only half the time required by the Perturbation and Observe algorithms to reach maximum power point MMP. Furthermore, when PV is subjected to sudden partial shading conditions, the algorithm rapidly detects this changes and reached the new MMP in less than a second.