Modular power conditioning unit for photovoltaic applications

The concept of modular power conditioning systems for photovoltaic (PV) applications is discussed, with particular reference to the battery as the load. A MOSFET-based power conditioning unit (PCU) of 1 kW capacity is discussed in detail along with a control algorithm to track the maximum power point. Maximum power from each PV array is extracted in spite of any mismatch in the array characteristics. One system controller is capable of handling several PCUs, simplifying the design and resulting in a lower cost of the system. It was observed that the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) increases the power output by abut 10% over a day as compared to the direct connection