Changing photovoltaic array interconnections to reduce mismatch losses: a case study

Partial shading of photovoltaic (PV) modules can affect a wide variety of plants ranging from utility-sized solar trackers to residential building-integrated PV, resulting in lower energy production yields. The traditional series-parallel interconnection scheme of solar arrays is sensitive to disparate solar irradiation levels on modules of the plant. By using alternative topologies, the effects of unavoidable partial shade can be decreased. In this paper, module interconnections inside a PV array are modified to reduce mismatch losses caused by partial shading. Results from a measurement campaign on a 2.2kW plant carried out on Jaén University´s campus using various interconnection schemes are presented.