Performance of Fuzzy MPPT for a Distributed Photovoltaic System Under Changing Environmental Condition

In recent times, power generation through distributed generation (DG) technique is increasingly adopted around the globe. Particularly photovoltaic (PV)-based DG has been used widely because of the vast availability of solar energy. However, the electrical power delivered by PV cells varies since their characteristics are completely dependent on ambient factors. As a result, having a unique technique to extract the maximum power available from sun irradiation is critical. Such a technique is known as maximum power point tracking (MPPT). In the present study, a simulation analysis is performed on a 5 kW standalone DG PV plant using a fuzzy controller-based MPPT technique. The performance of fuzzy MPPT techniques is evaluated under distinct operating conditions. The simulation study is then extended to include perturb and observe (P&O) technique to evaluate the effectiveness of the fuzzy MPPT controller. The comparative study revealed that fuzzy MPPT provided better results. The simulation investigation is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink software version 2020a.