Parameter estimation for five- and seven-parameter photovoltaic electrical models using evolutionary algorithms

•Five and seven parameter photovoltaic electrical models used.•Model parameter estimation using evolutionary algorithms.•New hybrid algorithms proposed.•Comparison of model results with models reported in literature.

Equivalent electric circuit modeling of PV devices is widely used to predict PV electrical performance. The first task in using the model to calculate the electrical characteristics of a PV device is to find the model parameters which represent the PV device. In the present work, parameter estimation for the model parameter using various evolutionary algorithms is presented and compared. The constraint set on the estimation process is that only the data directly available in module datasheets can be used for estimating the parameters. The electrical model accuracy using the estimated parameters is then compared to several electrical models reported in literature for various PV cell technologies.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide