A Variable Step Maximum Power Point Tracking for Photovoltaic Power System

Solar energy has received wide interest due to the shortage of energy and CO2 reduction requirement. Electricity conversion is especially interested in the study of solar energy using photovoltaic (PV) cell. PV cell is a nonlinear power device depending on various factors. In this paper, a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is proposed using variable step hill-climbing algorithm. The MPPT was achieved by detecting the fluctuations of PV in associate with a switching converter. The algorithm was validated through numerical simulation and experimental study.