THE OUTPUT CHARACTERISTIC OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY UNDER MISMATCHING CONDITIONS

Abstract

In operating a photovoltaic (PV) system, the mismatching phenomenon is
the most commonly occurring scenario among the PV modules of the PV arrays,
causing the PV cells to operate under different conditions, which leads to
significant power losses in the PV arrays. Prediction of the electrical performance
of a PV array under mismatching conditions can improve the operational
efficiency of a PV system. This paper proposes a simple and accurate method to
extract the output characteristic of a PV array under mismatching conditions. The
current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of a PV cell is represented by evaluating the
single-diode model (SDM). After that, the I-V characteristic of a PV module and a
PV array are simulated on the basis of the SDM. The effectiveness of the method
is verified by an investigation conducted on a polycrystalline PV panel. The
investigated results prove the proposed method is highly effective in simulating
the I-V characteristic of a PV array under mismatching conditions.