Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking: Challenges and Commercial Solutions

Abstract

In this paper the state of the art of distributed maximum power point techniques for photovoltaic systems is discussed. Modern applications of photovoltaic systems in urban context and to sustainable mobility require the proper facing of drawbacks due to partial shading and different orientations of the cells the photovoltaic source is made of. The latest architectures proposed in literature are reviewed and their points of strength and weakness are discussed. Finally, the products that are currently available on the market are presented and their fields of application and features are overviewed.