Efficiency based comparative analysis of selected classical MPPT methods

The control system block in a photovoltaic (PV) system includes the algorithm which makes possible the PV system operation under adequate conditions to extract the maximum electrical power available from the PV array, this algorithm is commonly called Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT). In the literature, different algorithms that researchers have developed, some more efficient, more easily to implement, more robust and faster than others, have been reported. Therefore, in this paper a comparative analysis between frequently used MPPT methods is presented. The methods considered in this analysis correspond to the classical Hill Climbing method, Perturb and Observe (P&O) method and the Incremental Conductance (INC) technique. The analysis has been oriented to measure the efficiency of each method being this parameter one of the most important to determine their performance. The simulated results permit to analyze the MPPT algorithms between them, in such a way the reader can discern the most appropriate method for his own application.