Performance Assessment of a Real PV System Connected to a Low-Voltage Grid

The generation of photovoltaic(PV)solar energy is increasing continuously because it is renewable,unlimited,and clean energy.In the past,generation systems depended on non-renewable sources such as oil,coal,and gas.Therefore,this paper assesses the performance of a 51 kW PV solar power plant connected to a low-voltage grid to feed an administrative building in the 6th of October City,Egypt.The performance analysis of the considered grid-connected PV system is carried out using power system simulator for Engineering(PSS/E)software.Where the PSS/E program,monitors and uses the power analyzer that displays the parameters and measures some parameters such as current,voltage,total power,power factor,frequency,and current and voltage harmonics,the used inverter from the type of grid inverter for the considered system.The results conclude that when the maximum solar radiation is reached,the maximum current can be obtained from the solar panels,thus obtaining the maximum power and power factor.Decreasing total voltage harmonic distortion,a current harmonic distortion within permissible limits using active harmonic distortion because this type is fast in processing up to 300 microseconds.The connection between solar stations and the national grid makes the system more efficient.

FaultMonitoring Strategy for PV System Based on I-V Feature Library

Long-term use in challenging natural conditions is possible for photovoltaic modules,which are extremely prone to failure.Failure to diagnose and address faults in Photovoltaic(PV)power systems in a timely manner can cause permanent damage to PV modules and,in more serious cases,fires.Therefore,research into photovoltaic module defect detection techniques is crucial for the growth of the photovoltaic sector as well as for maintaining national economic prosperity and ensuring public safety.Considering the drawbacks of the current real-time and historical data-based methods for monitoring distributed PV systems,this paper proposes a method for monitoring PV systems at the module or string level that can be achieved by monitoring only electrical signals.The approach doesn’t need a lot of tests to get the operational data of PV modules beforehand and only requires theoretical feature libraries of PV modules through panel parameter calculations.The present operating conditions and the open-circuit and short-circuit faults can be precisely identified by comparing the observed open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current with the corresponding data in the theoretical feature library.After that,by comparing the measured maximum power point voltage and current with the corresponding data in the theoretical feature library through the threshold method,aging and shadowing faults can be accurately determined.Experimental testing was done to see whether the suggested method was effective.The results show that the proposed technique is able to diagnose open-circuit faults,short-circuit faults,aging faults,and shadowing faults with shadow occlusion above 20%.

Probabilistic Global Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm for Continuously Varying Partial Shading Conditions on Autonomous PV Systems

A photovoltaic (PV) string with multiple modules with bypass diodes frequently deployed on a variety of autonomous PV systems may present multiple power peaks under uneven shading. For optimal solar harvesting, there is a need for a control schema to force the PV string to operate at global maximum power point (GMPP). While a lot of tracking methods have been proposed in the literature, they are usually complex and do not fully take advantage of the available characteristics of the PV array. This work highlights how the voltage at operating point and the forward voltage of the bypass diode are considered to design a global maximum power point tracking (GMPPT) algorithm with a very limited global search phase called Fast GMPPT. This algorithm successfully tracks GMPP between 94% and 98% of the time under a theoretical evaluation. It is then compared against Perturb and Observe, Deterministic Particle Swarm Optimization, and Grey Wolf Optimization under a sequence of irradiance steps as well as a power-over-voltage characteristics profile that mimics the electrical characteristics of a PV string under varying partial shading conditions. Overall, the simulation with the sequence of irradiance steps shows that while Fast GMPPT does not have the best convergence time, it has an excellent convergence rate as well as causes the least amount of power loss during the global search phase. Experimental test under varying partial shading conditions shows that while the GMPPT proposal is simple and lightweight, it is very performant under a wide range of dynamically varying partial shading conditions and boasts the best energy efficiency (94.74%) out of the 4 tested algorithms.

Tilt Angle Optimality Criteria for Stand Alone PV Systems

The conventional approach to optimizing tilt angles for fixed solar panels aims to maximize energy generation over the entire year. However, in the context of a supply controlled electric grid, where solar energy availability varies, this criterion may not be optimal. This study explores two alternative optimization criteria focused on maximizing baseload supply potential and minimizing required storage capacity to address seasonality in energy generation. The optimal tilt angles determined for these criteria differed significantly from the standard approach. This research highlights additional factors crucial for designing solar power systems beyond gross energy generation, essential for the global transition towards a fully renewable energy-based electric grid in the future.

Implementation of FPGA Based MPPT Techniques for Grid-Connected PV System

Global energy demand is growing rapidly owing to industrial growth and urbanization.Alternative energy sources are driven by limited reserves and rapid depletion of conventional energy sources(e.g.,fossil fuels).Solar photovol-taic(PV),as a source of electricity,has grown in popularity over the last few dec-ades because of their clean,noise-free,low-maintenance,and abundant availability of solar energy.There are two types of maximum power point track-ing(MPPT)techniques:classical and evolutionary algorithm-based techniques.Precise and less complex perturb and observe(P&O)and incremental conduc-tance(INC)approaches are extensively employed among classical techniques.This study used afield-programmable gate array(FPGA)-based hardware arrange-ment for a grid-connected photovoltaic(PV)system.The PV panels,MPPT con-trollers,and battery management systems are all components of the proposed system.In the developed hardware prototype,various modes of operation of the grid-connected PV system were examined using P&O and incremental con-ductance MPPT approaches.

Performance Analysis of a Rooftop Hybrid Connected Solar PV System

In the present work,a 5-kW hybrid PV solar system was installed on the roof of a house in Diyala,Iraq(33.77°N,45.14°E elevation 44 m).The system consists of two strings,where each string consists of nine polycrystalline PV modules with 355 Wp in series,and the two strings are in parallel.The energy storage system(ESS)consists of two parallel strings,each with four 12 V and 150 Ah tubular deep cycle batteries in series.A hybrid inverter of 5 kW rated power was operated in different modes.The results showed that May’s monthly energy consumption was about 822.9 and 1085 kWh,respectively.The percentage distribution of the DC energy produced was about 1%system energy losses,27.9%was used to charge the ESS,34.3%was used to feed the grid,and the remaining 37.64%was used to share the load.The energy percentage sharing the load was 16.67%from ESS,33.33%from the PV system,and 50%purchased.The average daily reference,array,and final yields were 6.07,4.327,and 3.991 h/day,respectively.The average array and load efficiencies were 12.3%and 92.24%,with the performance ratio at 65.4%.

Hybrid MPPT approach using Cuckoo Search and Grey Wolf Optimizer for PV systems under variant operating conditions

Photovoltaic(PV)systems are adversely affected by partial shading and non-uniform conditions.Meanwhile,the addition of a bypass shunt diode to each PV module prevents hotspots.It also produces numerous peaks in the PV array’s power-voltage characteristics,thereby trapping conventional maximum power point tracking(MPPT)methods in local peaks.Swarm optimization approaches can be used to address this issue.However,these strategies have an unreasonably long convergence time.The Grey Wolf Optimizer(GWO)is a fast and more dependable optimization algorithm.This renders it a good option for MPPT of PV systems operating in varying partial shading.The conventional GWO method involves a long conversion time,large steady-state oscillations,and a high failure rate.This work attempts to address these issues by combining Cuckoo Search(CS)with the GWO algorithm to improve the MPPT performance.The results of this approach are compared with those of conventional MPPT according to GWO and MPPT methods based on perturb and observe(P&O).A comparative analysis reveals that under non-uniform operating conditions,the hybrid GWO CS(GWOCS)approach presented in this article outperforms the GWO and P&O approaches.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Using the Incremental Conductance Algorithm for PV Systems Operating in Rapidly Changing Environmental Conditions

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is an important process in Photovoltaic (PV) systems because of the need to extract maximum power from PV panels used in these systems. Without the ability to track and have PV panels operate at its maximum power point (MPP) entails power losses;resulting in high cost since more panels will be required to provide specified energy needs. To achieve high efficiency and low cost, MPPT has therefore become an imperative in PV systems. In this study, an MPP tracker is modeled using the IC algorithm and its behavior under rapidly changing environmental conditions of temperature and irradiation levels is investigated. This algorithm, based on knowledge of the variation of the conductance of PV cells and the operating point with respect to the voltage and current of the panel calculates the slope of the power characteristics to determine the MPP as the peak of the curve. A simple circuit model of the DC-DC boost converter connected to a PV panel is used in the simulation;and the output of the boost converter is fed through a 3-phase inverter to an electricity grid. The model was simulated and tested using MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the IC algorithm for tracking the MPP in PV systems operating under rapidly changing temperatures and irradiations with a settling time of 2 seconds.

Feasibility Study of Installing Rooftop PV System with Net-Metering Scheme in Iraq

Renewable energy, particularly solar energy, offers a clean and alternative energy source to meet the energy demand for sustainable development in the world. Due to its profitability and viability, PV net-metering scheme has been adopted in many countries. The feasibility of implementation PV rooftop system with net metering in residential, commercial, governmental and industrial sectors in Iraq is demonstrated in this study. A financial model has been developed to investigate the feasibility parameters NPV, IRR and annual savings of 24 kWp PV system. The results showed that increasing the capacity of the PV system in residential and commercial buildings will lead to a profitable investment return and the breakeven point that may make the PV net-metering projects feasible is very close to the tariff applied for the commercial sector (10.29 $c/kWh). In the governmental sector, the tariff needs to increase by 35.1% to reach breakeven. However, for such net-metering scheme to be attractive and feasible on a wide scale, it is crucial to back it with financial support through soft loans and grants.

Design and Economic Analysis of a Grid-connected Rooftop Solar PV System for Typical Home Applications in Oman

This paper presents a techno-economic investigation of an integrated rooftop solar PV system for typical home applications in Oman that can reduce the power consumption from the grid and export excess PV generated power back to the gird.Since renewable energy systems design technically depends on the site,this study selects a typical two-story villa(Home),in a site Al-Hamra,Oman.Temperature is one of the critical parameters in this design as it varies widely over the day and from one season to another in Oman.With the effect of temperature variation,the PV system has designed using system models for the required load of the home.The design process has included two main design constraints,such as the available rooftop space and the grid-connection availability for the selected home.This research also evaluates the economic feasibility of the design system considering the energy export tariff as per the Bulk Supply Tariff(BST)scheme in Oman.The design outcome reveals that the designed PV system can supply the load energy requirement in a year.In addition,the rooftop solar PV system can sell surplus energy back to the grid that generates additional revenue for the owner of the system.The economic performance indices such as payback period,internal rate of return,net present value,and profitability index ensure the financial feasibility of the designed rooftop solar PV system for the selected home.

Fault Identification and Islanding in DC Grid Connected PV System

Nowadays, the DC distribution system has been suggested, as a replacement for the AC power distribution system with electric propulsion. This idea signifies a fresh approach of issuing energy for low-voltage installations. It can be used for any electrical application up to 20 MW and works at a nominal voltage of 1000 V DC. The DC distribution system is just an extension of the multiple DC links that previously available in all propulsion and thruster drives, which typically comprise more than 80% of the electrical power consumption on electric propulsion vessels. A fault detection and islanding scheme for DC grid connected PV system is presented in this paper. Unlike traditional ac distribution systems, protection has been challenging for dc systems. The goals of this paper are to classify and detect the fault in the PV system as well as DC grid and to isolate the faulted section so that the system keeps operating without disabling the entire system. The results show the measured values of power at PV panel and DC grid side under different fault condition, which indicates the type of fault that occurs in the system.

Energy Comparison of Seven MPPT Techniques for PV Systems

In the future, solar energy will be a very important energy source. Several studies suppose that more than 45% of the energy in the world will be generated by photovoltaic array. Therefore it is necessary to concentrate our forces to reduce the application costs and to increment their performance. In order to reach the last aspect, it is important to note that the output characteristic of a photovoltaic array is nonlinear and changes with solar irradiation and cell’s temperature. Therefore a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique is needed to maximize the produced energy. This paper presents a comparative study of seven widely-adopted MPPT algorithms;their performance is evaluated using, for all the techniques, a common device with minimum hardware variations. In particular, this study compares the behaviors of each technique in presence of solar irradiation variations.

Overview of Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Methods for PV Systems

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers play an important role in photovoltaic systems. They maximize the output power of a PV array for a given set of conditions. This paper presents an overview of the different MPPT techniques. Each technique is evaluated on its ability to detect multiple maxima, convergence speed, ease of implementation, efficiency over a wide output power range, and cost of implementation. The perturbation and observation (P & O), and incremental conductance (IC) algorithms are widely used techniques, with many variants and optimization techniques reported. For this reason, this paper evaluates the performance of these two common approaches from a dynamic and steady state perspective.

Fault Ride-Through Capability Enhancement of PV System with Voltage Support Control Strategy

With continuously increasing of photovoltaic (PV) plant’s penetration, it has become a critical issue to improve the fault ride-through capability of PV plant. This paper refers to the German grid code, and the PV system is controlled to keep grid connected, as well as inject reactive current to grid when fault occurs. The mathematical model of PV system is established and the fault characteristic is studied with respect to the control strategy. By analyzing the effect of reactive power supplied by the PV system to the point of common coupling (PCC) voltage, this paper proposes an adaptive voltage support control strategy to enhance the fault ride-through capability of PV system. The control strategy fully utilizes the PV system’s capability of voltage support and takes the safety of equipment into account as well. At last, the proposed control strategy is verified by simulation.

Low Voltage Ride through Control Capability of a Large Grid Connected PV System Combining DC Chopper and Current Limiting Techniques

This paper presents the development and performance capability of a comprehensive Low voltage ride through (LVRT) control scheme that makes use of both the DC chopper and the current limiting based on the required reactive power during fault time. The study is conducted on an 8.5 MW single stage PV power plant (PVPP) connected to the Rwandan grid. In the event of fault disturbance, this control scheme helps to overcome the problems of excessive DC-link voltage by fast activation of the DC chopper operation. At the same instance, AC current is limited to the maximum rating of the inverter as a function of the injected reactive current. This helps overcome AC-over- current that may possibly lead to damage or disconnection of the inverter. The control scheme also ensures voltage support and power balance through the injection of reactive current as per grid code requirements. Selected simulations using MATLAB are carried out in the events of different kinds of fault caused voltage dips. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed LVRT control scheme.

Performance Assessment of Installed Solar PV System: A Case Study of Oke-Agunla in Nigeria

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) can be considered as one of the most reliable and promising renewable systems. This is of great importance for developing countries like Nigeria especially in the rural communities where there is little or no access to electricity. The use of solar energy will no doubt contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of these villagers. Solar PV systems have been installed in some villages in Nigeria but unfortunately, the expected benefits from using these systems have been jeopardized. The objective of this work is to embark on performance assessments of in- stalled Solar PV system in Oke-Agunla, Akure local government of Ondo State in Nigeria. Visits were conducted to the village;equipments on ground were examined while the people were interviewed. Both functional and non-functional facilities were traced to their manufacturers using the identification data on them and rated to ensure their efficiencies. Energy demands were also prorated, and observed the need to improve on the present energy supplied. Results of the assessments shows that PV facilities used were inadequate, trained technicians were not available giving room for quacks working on the facilities occasionally resulted in further complications and poor facilities maintenance. The assessment result shows that just 14.52% of the 4.5 kW installed solar PV was utilized due to significant malfunctioning and deterioration in performance. It can be concluded from this study that the installed solar PV systems was inefficient as a result of poor maintenance, lack of technical know-how and inability of the project contractors or managers to take these factors into consideration while embarking on the solar PV installations.

Study and Design of a DC/AC Energy Converter for PV System Connected to the Grid Using Harmonic Selected Eliminated (HSE) Approach

Nowadays, distributing network-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems are expanded by merging a PV system and a Direct Current (DC)/Alternating Current (AC) energy converter. DC/AC conversion of PV energy is in great demand for AC applications. The supply of electrical machines and transfer energy to the distribution network is a typical case. In this work, we study and design a DC/AC energy converter using harmonic selective eliminated (HSE) method. To this end, we have combined two power stages connected in derivation. Each power stage is constituted of transistors and transformers. The connection by switching of the two rectangular waves, delivered by each of the stages, makes it possible to create a quasi-sinusoidal output voltage of the inverter. Mathematical equations based on the current-voltage characteristics of the inverter have been developed. The simulation model was validated using experimental data from a 25.2 kWp grid-coupled (PV) system, connected to Gridfit type inverters. The data were exported and implemented in programming software. A good agreement was observed and this shows all the robustness and the technical performances of the energy converter device. It emerges from this analysis that the inverter output voltage and the phase angle thus simulated are very important to control in order to orientate the transfer of the power flow from the continuous cell to cell to the alternating part. Simulated and field-testing results also show that increases in the value of the modulation factor (m) for low power output are highly significant. This study is an important tool for DC/AC inverter designers during initial planning stages. A short presentation of the design model of the inverter has been proposed in this article.

Simulink Based Analysis and Realization of Solar PV System

Non-conventional energy resources are increasingly used to fulfill load demands. Before using such energy sources, the very important thing is analysis at the basic level. This paper presents analysis and realization of solar PV system. The current-voltage and power-voltage characteristics of solar PV array changes as parameters like solar insolation, and temperature changes. These characteristics are found and realized by using MATLAB software.