Authors:  S. Tripathi, N. Gupta, R. K. Sahu, D. C. Nautiyal and H. S. Sahu

Publication  Name:   IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, doi: 10.1109/TCE.2025.3635470

Keywords: Global maximum power (GMP), Partial shading conditions (PSCs), Mismatch loss (MML), Maximum power point (MPP), Random shading conditions (RSC)

Abstract: Partial shading is a critical challenge in photovoltaic (PV) systems, significantly reducing power generation due to uneven irradiance across the array. This causes mismatch losses, hotspot formation, and multiple peaks in power-voltage characteristics. This paper presents a novel sensor-free solar panel reconfiguration scheme for consumers based on a Gray code decimal sequence to mitigate these effects. The proposed approach uses a set of generalized mathematical expressions to physically rearrange PV panels at the time of installation, while maintaining electrical connections equivalent to the traditional totally-cross-tied (TCT) configuration. This relocation effectively disperses shading concentration, reduces mismatch losses, and enhances energy extraction. The scheme draws conceptual inspiration from transposition techniques in power systems, aiming to balance the electrical characteristics of the PV array. Performance is evaluated under both static and 400 randomly generated partial shading scenarios. Simulation results show a notable improvement in output power ranging from 5.79% to 23.64% compared to the TCT arrangement. Experimental validation is performed on 60 W and 1200 W PV prototypes, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method. The scheme provides a low-cost, implementation-friendly solution for maximizing energy efficiency in partially shaded PV systems, making it highly suitable for practical deployment in modern power systems.

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