Investigation of the harmonic response of a photovoltaic system with a solar emulator

Abstract

This paper proposes a solar emulator to imitate the output of a solar panel and introduces a novel approach to maximum power point tracking (MPPT). It is difficult to analyse the performance of a photovoltaic system, therefore, an emulator circuit which models the solar array under controlled conditions is required. A DC halogen lamp, where the brightness can be adjusted as required, will illuminate a single solar cell. The output of the solar cell is amplified to produce the characteristics of a large solar panel. A new methodology, the harmonic detection method (HDM) is investigated which aims to locate the maximum power point by examining the harmonics produced at different locations on the current-voltage characteristic curve