Mitigating the effects of partial shading on PV system’s performance through PV array reconfiguration: A review

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring different PhotoVoltaic (PV) array Reconfiguration (PVR) methods, used to reduce the negative impacts of Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs), that could affect the performance of a PV system (i.e. hotspots, electrical mismatch, etc.). The classification of different PVR techniques is formed under three main categories: physical, electrical, and physical-electrical combination. Physical PVR alters the actual locations of the panels within the array. Referred to as static reconfiguration methods, this set includes puzzle based, number based, symmetry based, distance maximizing based, and nature inspired methods. On the other hand, electrical PVR reorders the electrical interconnections between PV panels, and is composed of algorithm based, artificial intelligence based, hybrid, and basic/improved electrical configurations. A combined PVR method hybridizes the two precedent categories. Each method from the three main sets, is critically compared to the relevant others, according to a mathematical model, which includes many performance indices: Fill Factor (FF), Mismatch Power Loss (𝑃ML), Percentage Power Loss (%𝑃Loss), Performance Ratio (PR), Execution Ratio (ER), Efficiency (𝜂), Percentage of Power Enhancement (%PE) and DC output power (𝑃DC). The thorough investigation of different PVR techniques, resulted that a Total Cross Tied (TCT) configured PV panels, physically relocated by means of Static Shade Dispersion Physical Array Relocation (SD-PAR) algorithm, while interfered with a switching matrix controlled by Modified Harris Hawks Optimizer (MHHO) algorithm, could be an optimum and effective solution to passively mitigate PSCs’ effects.

Keywords: Physical, Electrical, Shading, Reconfiguration, Patterns, Dispersion