Designing an efficient photovoltaic system with maximum power point tracking technique by comparing different converter topologies

Photovoltaic modules show nonlinear output characteristics because of which different system loss occurs. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is an intelligent technique for reducing these losses by driving the system at its optimal operating point. In this paper two well established MPPT techniques: Perturb and Observe (P&O) method and Incremental conductance (INC) method is explained and verified with simulated results. Due to some drawbacks in P&O method, a comprehensive optimized photovoltaic system is designed implementing the INC method in Matlab/Simulink. DC/DC converter is an essential part of a MPPT controlled photovoltaic (PV) system which functions as an interface between PV system and load. There are many converter topologies whose are implemented according to their required applications. A detailed comparative study among buck, boost and buck-boost converters is presented here. Our study shows that among these three converters buck-boost delivers the maximum power to the load. Finally an optimized PV system implementing INC method interfaced with buck-boost converter is designed and simulated which is robust and compatible to all other techniques.