Performance enhancement of a novel reduced cross-tied PV arrangement under irradiance mismatch scenarios

Overcoming the challenges presented by irradiance mismatch scenarios (IMSs) is crucial for maintaining consistent power generation in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. While the widely adopted total-cross-tied (T-C-T) arrangement proves effective, it introduces significant wiring complexity and generates multiple power peaks under various IMSs. To address these limitations, a novel modified PV arrangement (MPVA) is proposed, resulting in a substantial 59.37% reduction in cross-ties compared to the 9 × 9 T-C-T configuration. Furthermore, the MPVA configuration achieves notable reductions of 37.5% and up to 80% in cross-wiring for symmetrical 5 × 5 and unsymmetrical 6 × 4 configurations, respectively, alleviating the intricate wiring demands of T-C-T. In addition to the modified arrangement, a progressive module shift rearrangement approach (PMSRA) is introduced as a novel static shade alleviation strategy applicable to T-C-T, series-parallel (S-P), and the proposed MPVA. Rigorous testing under four IMSs—lower right corner shading (LRCS), upper right corner shading (URCS), upper left corner shading (ULCS), and lower left corner shading (LLCS)—is conducted. Simulation results from an extensive 9 × 9 PV array are experimentally validated on both symmetrical 5 × 5 and unsymmetrical 6 × 4 PV arrays, demonstrating that the reconfigured MPVA exhibits the highest degree of shade dispersion (SD). This leads to a notable reduction in mismatch losses (ML) of up to 86% compared to T-C-T, accompanied by significant improvements in key performance metrics such as fill factor (FF), power enhancement (PE), efficiency (EFF), and execution ratio (ER).