Modeling of integrated power conditioner for photovoltaic systems

This paper proposes a fast and efficient algorithm for tracking maximum power in photovoltaic system. The proposed hybrid algorithm initially reaches the approximate maximum power point using variable step length and subsequently the exact maximum power point by conventional incremental conductance method. The duty cycle of the boost converter used for battery charging, is adjusted under variable step length to track the maximum power point initially. Simulation done using the data measured for a typical day shows that the hybrid algorithm is best suited for fast changing atmospheric conditions. By using it for tracking the maximum power, the total energy output gets increased by approximately 3.3 times.