DC-DC Converters with MPPT Control for Photovoltaic Panels

In this paper a monolithic DC-DC converter is presented which includes the Maximum Power Point Tracking MPPT algorithm to find the optimal working point of the photovoltaic panel. This device breaks the present paradigm of centralised power conversion, by transferring a part of the electronics from the inverter to the panel. One or more converters can be placed in the junction box of the panel and due to the fact that the point of maximum power transfer is calculated locally, the resulting efficiency of the entire PV system is higher when compared to the traditional architectures. Besides, compared to similar emerging initiatives, this solution is more compact and therefore, commercially more advantageous.