Parameter estimation of photovoltaic system using imperialist competitive algorithm

This paper presents a reliable methodology based on imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) for estimating the optimal parameters of photovoltaic (PV) generating unit. The PV system is simulated by single diode model and double diode model. The proposed constrained objective function is derived from the voltage-power curve of the PV system which has unique maximum power point (MPP). The analysis is performed on different types of PV systems; mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous modules. The validation of ICA is investigated for PV cell/module operated under different irradiances and temperatures; the obtained results are compared with experimental data and other reported meta-heuristic optimization algorithms. The results confirm the validity and reliability of ICA in extracting the optimal parameters of the PV generating unit. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.