Navigating Solar Peaks: Simulation Study of Fuzzy Logic and Improved Perturb & Observe MPPT Techniques for Standalone PV Systems

The use of fossil fuel, without doubt, has to be cut short and solar photovoltaic technologies provide us with the perfect tool to do so. To move energy production to be renewable source dependent, the efficiency needs to be increased. Though in use since the 1950s, solar panels, to this date, lack much efficiency. To combat the lack of efficiency of solar panels, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) systems are being used to track the maximum operating power and voltage. This study tries to compare three of the most common approaches to MPPT and pick out the most efficient, stable and effective one of the bunch. Perturb and observe (P&O), fuzzy logic and improved P&O algorithms are used to track the maximum power by adjusting the voltage required by the battery to charge itself. The entire study is simulation-based and is carried out in MATLAB Simulink using components from the Simscape library. The panel is considered in a fixed non-shaded position. Being supplied with a relatively constant irradiance with minor environmental fluctuations. The main objective was to find the best-performing algorithm given the same inputs under identical circumstances. The power and voltage readings were then plotted and the improved P&O controller performed better in terms of reduced oscillation in output power, quick rise to the maximum power, a level power point tracking and having an efficiency of 96.55%. Traditional P&O and fuzzy logic algorithms weren't too far off with efficiencies of 93.91% and 94.39%, but have more harmonic properties in their output power.