STUDYING THE EFFECT OF SHADING ON A SOLAR PANEL WITH THE HELP OF MATLAB TO OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE RATIO OF A SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM.

Abstract

Renewable energy sources play an important role in the generation of electricity. Various renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, ocean thermal and biomass can be used to generate electricity and to meet our daily energy needs. Solar energy is the best option for producing electricity, because it is available everywhere and its use is free of charge. A solar photovoltaic (PV) array converts solar energy into electrical energy. The performance of the photovoltaic array is affected by solar insolation, shading and temperature, and this leads to a shift of the maximum power point (MPP). The output characteristics display several maximum points. In addition, tracking the GPP among various local maxima is applied in order to obtain maximum efficiency from the photovoltaic (PV) array. This article conducts research on various maximum power point trackers (MPPT) for photovoltaic (PV) arrays. It also explains the variation of solar insolation and the effect of temperature and shading on the solar panel, and provides the steps for tracking the GPP.