Abstract

The power produced in a photovoltaic (PV) system is highly dependent on meteorological conditions and the features of the connected load. Therefore, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods are crucial to optimize the power delivered. An MPPT method needs a DC-DC converter for its implementation. The proper selection of both the MPPT technique and the power converter for a given scenario is one of the main challenges since they directly influence the overall efficiency of the PV system. This paper presents an exhaustive study of the performance of four step-down/step-up DC-DC converter topologies: Buck-Boost, SEPIC, Zeta and Cuk, using three of the most commonly implemented MPPT techniques: incremental conductance (IncCond), perturb and observe (P&O) and fuzzy logic controller (FLC). Unlike other works available in the literature, this study compares and discusses the performance of each MPPT/converter combination in terms of settling time and tracking efficiency of MPPT algorithms, and the conversion efficiency of power converters. Furthermore, this work jointly considers the effects of incident radiation variations, the temperature of the PV panel and the connected load. The main contribution of this work, other than selecting the best combination of converter and MPPT strategy applied to typical PV systems with DC-DC power converters, is to formulate a methodology of analysis to support the design of efficient PV systems. The results obtained from simulations performed in Simulink/MATLAB show that the FLC/Cuk set consistently achieved the highest levels of efficiency, and the FLC/Zeta combination presents the best transient behavior. The findings can be used as a valuable reference for the decision to implement a particular MPPT/converter configuration among those included in this study.