ABSTRACT
The functional principle of the Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPP Tracker) is based on matching the PV generator voltage to the voltage on the grid take-over side such that the output power has its maximum value. For grid-connected PV plants this means that the transformation ratio between the generator voltage and the grid voltage must continually track the fluctuating meteorological conditions. It is known that the MPP is only slightly shifted by changing incident radiation, but it is strongly shifted by the fluctuating temperature. A MPP tracking system is efficient if the variable transformation ratio produces greater energy output than a system with fixed transformation ratio. The question arose, how to quantify the efficiency boost of the respective MPP tracker such that comparison of the respective methods is possible under load. This paper is devoted to answering just this question. Several known MPP methods are mutually compared with the help of simulating calculations with the developed model.
