Publication:

On the testing, characterization, and evaluation of PV inverters and dynamic MPPT performance under real varying operating conditions

The increasing number of photovoltaic inverters that are coming on to the PV marketstresses the need to carry out a dynamic characterization of these elements and theirmaximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms under real operating conditions.In order to make these conditions repeatable at the laboratory, PV array simulatorsare used. However, actual simulators, including the commercial simulators, recreateonly a single or small set of PV array characteristic curves in which quite commonlytheoretical calculations are included in order to simulate irradiance and temperatureartificial variations. This is far from being a recreation of the real and long dynamicbehavior of a PVarray or generator. The testing and evaluation of the performance ofPV inverters and MPPT algorithms has to be carried out when the PV system movesdynamically according to real operating conditions, including processes such asrapidly changing atmospheric conditions, partial shadows, dawn, and nightfall. Thispaper tries to contribute to the analysis of this problem by means of an electronicsystem that both measures the real evolution of the characteristic curves of PVarraysat outdoor operation and then recreates them at the laboratory to test PV inverters.This way the equipment can highlight the different performances of PV inverters andMPPT techniques when they operate under real operating conditions. As an example,two commercial inverters are tested and analyzed under the recreated behavior of aPV generator during 2 singular days that include processes of partial shading and fastirradiance variations.