Analysis of the maximum power point tracking in the photovoltaic grid inverters of 5 kW

The aim of this article is to describe how closely PV grid-connected inverters (of around 5 kW) operate at the actual maximum power point. These inverters could be installed at any low voltage, PV grid-connected systems. To carry this study out, twelve 50 Hz single-phase inverters were selected from the European market. Each one of them was put into an outdoor grid-connected system installed in Spain. PV power generation with respect to irradiance, ambient temperature and local time was measured under different meteorological conditions. DC voltage and maximum power point tracking efficiency were analyzed. From the results obtained it has been possible to see that the MPPT algorithms used in some inverters do not bring the optimum utilisation of the PV array.