A maximum power point tracking method based on particle swarm optimization for photovoltaic module arrays with shadows

A maximum power point tracker (MPPT) based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) was proposed, which allowed the photovoltaic (PV) module array to output maximum power even when certain modules were in shadow. The proposed maximum power point tracking method possesses automatic memory and can judge or identify tracked targets. This method can avoid the confinement of tracking to local maximum values and can accurately and rapidly track the global maximum power point of a photovoltaic module array. Simulation results verified that the proposed method could effectively track the real maximum power point when two or more peak values occurred in the P-V characteristic curve of a photovoltaic module array. © 2014 ICIC International.