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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 April 2022) | Viewed by 14924

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tamás Kerekes

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Pontoppidanstræde 111, 9220 Aalborg-East, Denmark
Interests: converter topologies and control algorithms for grid connected renewable energy systems including storage
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Dr. Dezso Sera

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Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics, Queensland University of Technology, George Street 2, 4059 Brisbane, Australia
Interests: modelling; characterisation; diagnostics; power conversion and grid and energy storage integration for photovoltaic systems
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Prof. Dr. Gabriele Grandi

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Interests: multilevel and multiphase converters; photovoltaic generation systems; power conditioning systems
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photovoltaic (PV) generation systems have had the highest new installed capacity during the last few years. At the end of 2019, the cumulative installed PV capacity reached 630 GW, with an extra 112 GW prognosed for 2020. Moreover, by 2024, the global cumulative PV capacity is estimated to reach 1500 GW. PV generation is going to become one of the most promising renewable energy sources to cover the increasing needs of electricity due to the incoming spread of transportation electrification.

With this in mind, PV systems are still an important research field, covering topics focusing on diagnostics of PV panels up to the integration issues regarding large-scale PV power plants. This Special Issue, therefore, is more topical than ever.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

- Converter topologies for low power photovoltaics;

- Converter topologies for high power photovoltaics;

- Modulation and control techniques;

- PV power plants with energy storage;

- Ancillary services for grid-connected systems;

- Optimization and MPPT techniques.

Prof. Dr. Tamás Kerekes
Prof. Dr. Dezso Sera
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Grandi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

PV panels
PV inverters
PV plants
MPPT techniques
PV optimization
PV and energy storages
PV and EV chargers
PV and smart grids

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 11029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global Maximum Power Point Tracking of Partially Shaded PV System Using Advanced Optimization Techniques

by Nouman Akram, Laiq Khan, Shahrukh Agha and Kamran Hafeez

Energies 2022, 15(11), 4055; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15114055 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1761

Abstract

In this work, a meta-heuristic optimization based method, known as the Firefly Algorithm (FA), to achieve the maximum power point (MPP) of a solar photo-voltaic (PV) system under partial shading conditions (PSC) is investigated. The Firefly Algorithm outperforms other techniques, such as the Perturb & Observe (P&O) method, proportional integral derivative (PID, and particle swarm optimization (PSO). These results show that the Firefly Algorithm (FA) tracks the MPP accurately compared with other above mentioned techniques. The PV system performance parameters i.e., convergence and tracking speed, is improved compared to conventional MPP tracking (MPPT) algorithms. It accurately tracks the various situations that outperform other methods. The proposed method significantly increased tracking efficiency and maximized the amount of energy recovered from PV arrays. Results show that FA exhibits high tracking efficiency (>99%) and less convergence time (<0.05 s) under PSCs with less power oscillations. All of these methods have been validated in Matlab simulation software. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Generation Systems and Power Conditioning)

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26 pages, 8370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cuckoo Search Combined with PID Controller for Maximum Power Extraction of Partially Shaded Photovoltaic System

by Ibrahim Al-Wesabi, Zhijian Fang, Hassan M. Hussein Farh, Abdullrahman A. Al-Shamma’a, Abdullah M. Al-Shaalan, Tarek Kandil and Min Ding

Energies 2022, 15(7), 2513; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072513 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2068

Abstract

In the case of partial shading conditions (PSCs), normal equations cannot be completely implemented. The mathematical model of the Photovoltaic (PV) array needs to be modified and re-established with the existence of bypass diodes connected to the PV module, which can alleviate the negative effects of the PSCs and generate several peaks on the PV output characteristics curve. The first aim of this study is to modify and re-establish the mathematical model of the PV array under PSCs. Second, it aims to improve and validate the reliable Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) by integrating it with PID (hybrid CSA-PID) to diminish the impact of PSCs problems. The hybrid CSA-PID was proposed to both track the global maximum power point (GMPP) of PV systems and reduce the tracking time to eliminate the fluctuations around the GMPP. Further, the PID controller was used to eliminate the error percentage obtained by CSA under PSCs to generate the required duty cycle, which provides the required and desired maximum voltage accordingly. The proposed CSA-PID technique has been implemented using both Matlab/Simulink and Hardware-In-Loop experiments on the MT real-time control platform NI PXIE-1071. For validation, the Hybrid CSA-PID method is evaluated and compared with CSA, modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO), PSO, and modified perturb and observe (MP&O) methods under similar conditions. Finally, the obtained findings demonstrated the efficacy and superiority of the proposed hybrid CSA-PID technique, demonstrating its resilience, fast reaction, and good performance in terms of tracking time and GMPP tracking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Generation Systems and Power Conditioning)

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22 pages, 5380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficiency Comparison of DC and AC Coupling Solutions for Large-Scale PV+BESS Power Plants

by Francesco Lo Franco, Antonio Morandi, Pietro Raboni and Gabriele Grandi

Energies 2021, 14(16), 4823; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14164823 - 07 Aug 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5615

Abstract

In large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants, the integration of a battery energy storage system (BESS) permits a more flexible operation, allowing the plant to support grid stability. In hybrid PV+BESS plants, the storage system can be integrated by using different power conversion system (PCS) layouts and different charge–discharge strategies. In the AC-coupling layout, the BESS is connected to the ac-side of the system through an additional inverter. In the DC-coupling layout, the BESS is connected to the dc-side, with or without a dedicated dc–dc converter, and no additional inverter is needed. Referring to a 288 MWp PV plant with a 275 MWh BESS, this paper compares the PCS efficiency between AC- and DC-coupling solutions. The power injected into the grid is obtained considering providing primary power-frequency regulation services. A charging and discharging strategy of the BESS is proposed to ensure cyclic battery energy shifting. The power flows in the different components of the system that are obtained under realistic operating conditions, and total energy losses and annual average efficiency are calculated accordingly. Finally, results show a higher efficiency of DC-coupling compared to the AC-coupling layout. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Generation Systems and Power Conditioning)

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15 pages, 2474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shading and Masking of PV Collectors on Horizontal and Sloped Planes Facing South and North—A Comparative Study

by Saeed Swaid, Joseph Appelbaum and Avi Aronescu

Energies 2021, 14(13), 3850; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133850 - 26 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1783

Abstract

With the increase in PV system installations, the available free land and rooftops for these systems may become scarcer, and therefore sloped fields facing the north may be utilized for that purpose. In deployments of PV collectors in multiple rows, either on horizontal or sloped planes, the second and subsequent rows are subject to two effects: shading and masking. Both effects reduce the electric energy generated by the PV systems. Multiple rows of collectors are deployed on horizontal planes and on sloped planes facing south, and literature on the topic has been published. No literature deals analytically with deployments of PV fields on north-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere, to the best of our knowledge. The present study develops explicit analytical expressions for the shadow height and length cast on a collector row by a row in front in multiple-row PV systems installed on slopes facing north. In addition, analytical expressions are developed for row spacing and sky view factors, altogether leading consequently to the determination of shading and masking losses. Having the developed expressions, a comparison was made between PV deployments on north-facing sloped planes to PV deployments on horizontal and south-facing slopes regarding shading and masking losses. The main finding is that the percentage of masking losses (diffuse radiation) may exceed the percentage of shading losses (beam radiation) in PV fields. At the local site

32^{\circ} N

, collector inclination angle

β = 25^{\circ}

and sloped-plane

ε = 10^{\circ}

, for example, the percentage of masking losses for a horizontal plane is 6.90%; for a sloped plane facing south, the losses are 5.39%, and for a sloped plane facing north, the losses are 6.86%. In comparison to the masking losses, the percentage of shading losses for the horizontal plane is 0.83%; for the sloped plane facing south, the losses are 0.42%, and for the sloped plane facing north, the losses are 1.37%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Generation Systems and Power Conditioning)

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Review

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25 pages, 7567 KiB

Open AccessReview

Flexible Active Power Control for PV-ESS Systems: A Review

by Xiangqiang Wu and Tamas Kerekes

Energies 2021, 14(21), 7388; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217388 - 05 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2364

Abstract

The penetration of solar energy in the modern power system is still increasing with a fast growth rate after long development due to reduced environmental impact and ever-decreasing photovoltaic panel cost. Meanwhile, distribution networks have to deal with a huge amount and frequent fluctuations of power due to the intermittent nature of solar energy, which influences the grid stability and could cause a voltage rise in the low-voltage grid. In order to reduce these fluctuations and ensure a stable and reliable power supply, energy storage systems are introduced, as they can absorb or release energy on demand, which provides more control flexibility for PV systems. At present, storage technologies are still under development and integrated in renewable applications, especially in smart grids, where lowering the cost and enhancing the reliability are the main tasks. This study reviews and discusses several active power control strategies for hybrid PV and energy storage systems that deliver ancillary services for grid support. The technological advancements and developments of energy storage systems in grid-tied PV applications are also reviewed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Generation Systems and Power Conditioning)

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