Comparative Analysis of Dynamic and Steady State Performances of Hill Climbing and Incremental Conductance MPPT Controllers for PV Systems

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy into the utility grid is expanding progressively to meet increasing energy demand. A crucial aspect of optimizing the output of PV systems involves implementing efficient maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers, necessary due to the nonlinear characteristics of these systems. This study conducts a simulation-based comparative analysis of two prominent MPPT techniques: hill climbing (HC) and incremental conductance (INC) methods. The emphasis is on the dynamic response and steady-state efficiency of these controllers. Using a modeled ۵۰۰ kW PV array alongside both MPPT techniques and other DC stage components, simulation tests were conducted in Matlab/Simulink under standard test conditions (STC) and varying meteorological conditions. The simulation results indicate that both techniques successfully tracked the MPP. However, the INC algorithm exhibits superior speed, precision, and efficiency, particularly in scenarios involving sudden fluctuations in irradiance and temperature. Furthermore, investigating the effect of perturbation step size on dynamic response and steady-state efficiency provided valuable insights for enhancing MPPT controller performance.

Keywords:

photovoltaic energy , MPPT , Hill Climbing Incremental Conductance , PV System Modeling