Simple method of PV cells balancing for maximum power harvesting in partially shaded environment

Nikolay Telzhensky, Ilya Zeltser, Mor M. Peretz

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The energy, generated by photovoltaic (PV) module consisting of serially connected PV cells is considerably reduced when a unit is shadowed or has a defect. This problem can be remedied by bypassing the weak units by an active circuitry, such as power converter, connected in parallel to the PV units. This way the power converter balances the power between the PV units. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the unity-gain voltage balancing method to the PV strings comprised of PV cells. The results of this study show that the unity-gain voltage balancing strategy is highly effective when applied to cell-level since no significant voltage differences exist between the MPP voltages of the cells in the string. For steady state operation, the power loss due to the equalization was below 3% even for a high difference in temperature and insolation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2014 IEEE 28th Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel, IEEEI 2014
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
ISBN (Electronic)9781479959877
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2014
Event2014 28th IEEE Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel, IEEEI 2014 - Eilat, Israel
Duration: 3 Dec 20145 Dec 2014

Publication series

Name2014 IEEE 28th Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel, IEEEI 2014

Conference

Conference2014 28th IEEE Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel, IEEEI 2014
Country/TerritoryIsrael
CityEilat
Period3/12/145/12/14

Keywords

  • Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
  • Photovoltaic systems
  • Voltage equalization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Simple method of PV cells balancing for maximum power harvesting in partially shaded environment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this