Effect and Behaviour of Photovoltaic Array Power under Intermittency
- Post by: ejees
- October 6, 2024
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Priye Kenneth Ainah1 and Sunday Ugemuge2
1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
2Department of Works and Physical Planning, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Photovoltaic (PV) arrays are a critical component in the global transition towards renewable energy, but they face significant challenges due to intermittency, which refers to fluctuations in solar irradiance caused by environmental factors such as cloud cover, shading, and atmospheric conditions. MATLAB/Simulink environment was used to model and simulate the PV array under different intermittency scenarios. This study investigates the effect of intermittency on the performance of a PV array with a maximum power output of 3980 watts. The study analyses the impact of varying irradiance levels on the output power, voltage, and the emergence of multiple maximum power points (MPPs). The results show that under stable irradiance conditions, the PV array produces a single MPP, with optimal power and voltage outputs. However, when intermittency is introduced, multiple MPPs and voltage peaks appear, complicating the performance of conventional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) systems. Various scenarios, including partial shading on specific modules, are examined to understand the degree to which intermittency affects energy output. The findings emphasize the need for enhanced PV array management techniques to maximize energy yield and system reliability in real-world applications where solar intermittency is prevalent
Keywords: Intermittency; Photovoltaic Array; Maximum Power Point; MPP
Citation: Ainah, P. K. & Ugemuge, S. (2024). Effect and Behaviour of Photovoltaic Array Power under Intermittency. European Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences, 8(2), 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13891497
Copyright©2024 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.