An innovative competence square technique for PV array reconfiguration under partial shading conditions

Abstract

The power generated by the photovoltaic (PV) array reduces drastically due to irregular solar irradiation. Shading pattern, shaded area, and array configuration are the main causes of reduction in power generation. The electrical characteristics of the modules in the array possess several peaks due to the fact that they produce distinct row currents and have various peaks in their electrical characteristics. Therefore, an appropriate technique is needed to minimize the row current difference that leads to maximum power generation at a higher level. This can be achieved by array reconfiguration; therefore, an Innovative Competence Square technique is proposed in this paper. The proposed technique disperses the shade effectively over the entire array by displacing the modules. The MATLAB simulation was run under three distinct shading conditions to validate the proposed technique’s performance, and it has been compared to the Competence Square technique and TCT interconnection. The technique’s benefits can be seen in terms of increased power generation, FF, and reduced mismatch losses. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.