Control of photovoltaic system power generation using sliding mode control

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy sources are rapidly becoming more popular than ever. The PV system output power relies on the applied current or voltage nonlinearity, and there exists a unique point called maximum power point (MPP). In addressing effective energy extraction from the PV system, this paper presents a controller design strategy to track the MPP of a PV system using the sliding mode control method of self-optimization. The PV system modeling practice is discussed. The proposed controller design offers a fast and accurate convergence to the MPP in steady state and during varying environmental conditions. A DC/DC boost converter is utilized as a control actuator for the MPP tracking using pulse width modulation (PWM) control on the switches. Results and discussion are provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed controller design.