A comparative study of solar photovoltaic array configurations to optimize power harvesting in a real-world system under various partial shading conditions

Abstract

Partial shading (PS) significantly reduces power generation and efficiency in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This research presents a novel totalcross-tied (TCT) methodology designed to mitigate shading effects by optimizing array layout while preserving electrical connectivity. The TCT method is compared to three established configurations: series-parallel (S-P), bridge-linked (B-L) and honey-comb (H-C). MATLAB simulations on a (9×9) PV array under variousshading conditions demonstrate TCT’s superior performance in achieving the global maximum power point (GMPP). Key findings indicate that TCT surpasses the other configurations, reaching a maximum power output of 16,650W at GMPP, with a mismatch power loss of 2,600W, a power loss of 13.32%, a fill factor (FF) of 38.27, and an execution ratio (ER) of 0.866.