Analysis and performance comparison of DC-DC power converters used in photovoltaic systems

It is essential to convert the energy obtained with photovoltaic panel from low efficiency to maximum possible efficiency. For this reason, the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method is generally used in both theoretical and practical applications. The main purpose of MPPT is to ensure to get the energy conversion with the highest efficiency in the selected converter and inverter topologies. In this study, Cuk, buck-boost and sepic converters fed by solar panels and controlled by PI-controlled MPPT are examined and their performances compared by Matlab Simulink© in order to determine which is the most efficient in converting the energy with photovoltaic systems to its maximum possible level. In the simulation, after modelling the designed systems according to the varying irrigation and temperature ratios during the day, the efficiencies of each converter are compared.