A Hybrid P&O-Fuzzy-Based Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Algorithm for Photovoltaic Systems Under Partial Shading Conditions

Photovoltaic arrays receive varying levels of solar radiation due to factors such as shadows created by clouds, surrounding buildings, and other obstructions. Therefore, an effective Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm should be used to maximize power generation from non-uniform arrays. Most MPPT algorithms do not perform well during partial shadow conditions, as they can become trapped in local maxima and fail to identify the absolute Global Maximum Power Point (GMP). This paper proposes a new MPPT approach that combines Perturb & Observe (P&O) and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) with the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The FLC algorithm is then used to maximize search accuracy. The configurations of this system and the study results demonstrate the dynamic and promising performance of the proposed method under various environmental and shading conditions. In addition to its simplicity and ease of implementation, the proposed algorithm exhibits high accuracy in tracking the maximum power point. This has been evidenced through both simulation and laboratory results of the hardware.