Comparative analysis of maximum power point tracking techniques for PV applications

In the wake of the growing energy requirements the use of Photovoltaic (PV) systems is increasing around the world. PV systems are not linear in nature therefore special methods are used to extract the maximum available power. The non linear characteristic of the IV curve of PV module has a unique single point of maximum power. In order to operate at that power point power electronic converters are used. These power electronic converters are controlled with the help of algorithms known as Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques. Various unique algorithms are found in the literature with their specific advantages and drawbacks. Keeping in view that an efficient tracking of Maximum Power Point (MPP) can increase the usability of a PV system by many folds, in this paper we present a comparison of four widely used MPPT techniques i.e 1) Fractional Short Circuit Current (FSCC), 2) Fractional Open Circuit Voltage (FOCV), 3) Perturb & Observe (P&O) and 4) Incremental Conductance (IC) MPPTs are discussed. The comparative analysis provides the pros and cons of each MPPT with a resistive load. The analysis is about the time required for each algorithm to track the maximum power and the system efficiencies.