Real-Time Implementation of a Dual-Axis PV System with MPPT for Maritime Applications

Modern crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells with modified performance have been utilized in recent years, with efficiencies as high as 22%. Additional methods exist to further improve solar panel efficiency by both implementing additional power electronics and control systems to find the optimal position. The presented work provides an integrated control method for efficient and reliable generation of power using PVs for maritime applications. This paper demonstrates a solar panel with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system to autonomously monitor the sun irradiance and find the optimal position of a PV panel using integrated microcontrollers and thereby maximize the generated power and efficiency of the system. The microcontrollers comprise a system to analyze and adjust the output power of the PV system using electronic sensors and measurement devices to ensure load requirements. Results have shown that performance and efficiency of the proposed PV system have been tremendously improved.