Maximum power point determination for a photovoltaic panel using a Simulink model

To obtain the maximum efficiency from a photovoltaic panel it has to work close to the maximum power point of power-voltage P(V) characteristic. The paper presents a method to determine this point using external current-voltage characteristic, I(V), instead of P(V) characteristic. With the purpose to avoid the solving of a transcendent algebraically system, a non-linear dynamical system of second order is used. Due to the local asymptotically stability of the dynamical system, its steady-state regime provides just the maximum power point of the panel. In the range of the external characteristic the method is robust in respect to the initial conditions. For current solving a Simulink model was synthesized.