LabView-based Simulator for PV Modules Energy Efficiency Optimization

Due to the rapid depletion of traditional fossil energy resources the optimal utilization of renewable resources such as the solar energy becomes a leading task in power engineering. In recent years photovoltaic energy-linked technologies has reached major advances in order to achieve improved energy efficiency conversion rates. In this endeavor, a huge amount of high quality research effort is dedicated worldwide. This paper is focused to present the design and implementation steps of a LabView -based toolkit aimed to modeling and simulates solar photovoltaic (PV) cells in a wide range of operation conditions. By using its well known mathematical model, it has been conceived a versatile and user-friendly simulator well suitable to study and evaluate energy efficiency conversion processes. In order to maximize the energy conversion efficiency the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm has been implemented. The virtual instrument (VI) developed in the graphical programming language allows fast and convenient monitoring of PV cell output magnitudes and plots the I-U and P-U diagrams under different operation conditions. These curves have been compared then with the diagrams provided by the PV module manufacturer. The obtained results are in good agreement with the manufacturer’s catalogue data