Q5Power System - I
Question
Q.5. What is the necessity of maximum power point tracking in PV system?
Answer
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is necessary in PV systems because a solar panel's power output varies non-linearly with irradiance and temperature, and MPPT continuously adjusts the operating voltage/current to always extract the maximum available power from the panel.
A solar PV module has a non-linear I-V characteristic with a single point on the curve, the maximum power point (MPP), at which the product of voltage and current is maximum; this MPP shifts continuously with changes in solar irradiance, cell temperature and partial shading. Without active tracking, a fixed operating point would waste a significant fraction of the available solar power, especially under fluctuating weather conditions. An MPPT controller (typically using algorithms like Perturb & Observe or Incremental Conductance) continuously perturbs the panel's operating voltage/duty cycle of the interfacing DC-DC converter and measures the resulting power, converging on and tracking the true MPP in real time, thereby maximizing energy harvest and improving overall system efficiency and economic return.