Modeling and hardware implementation of VMPPT for a PV panel with a reference cell

The paper presents a voltage-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme in which a reference cell is used to provide information on the open circuit voltage. In this scheme, there is no need to open circuit the main panel thereby increasing the power output from the panel. This implementation is cost effective and exact when the main panel and the reference cell can be fabricated together in a single process. A buck-boost type switching converter is used to interface the PV panel and the load. In the method proposed a PSPICE-based modeling technique is used to identify a second panel that will serve as a reference. PSPICE parameters needed for simulation are obtained from manufacturer´s specifications. A Programmable System on a Chip (PSoC) is used for implementing the control algorithm. The details of modeling and experimental results are presented and compared.