Mitigating local minima in extracting optimal parameters for photovoltaic models: An optimizer leveraging multiple initial populations (OLMIP)

The accurate identification of parameters in photovoltaic models is of paramount importance to accurately predict the electrical behavior of photovoltaic systems and improve their performance. Nowadays, this task poses a multimodal optimization problem, aiming to find the best combination of parameters that fit the model to real data. This article presents a proposal for an Optimizer Leveraging Multiple Initial Populations (OLMIP) that aims to achieve optimal solutions while effectively avoiding undesirable local optima. By utilizing a separate evolution strategy involving four distinct initial populations, followed by the construction of an elite population, the algorithm can explore multiple regions of the search space and escape local minima . Experiments were conducted with four models: the single diode, double diode, triple diode from RTC France cell, and Photowatt-PWP201 module. The mean squared errors obtained are 9.860219E-04, 9.824849E-04, 9.824849E-04, and 2.425075 E−03, respectively. These results indicate that the algorithm achieves superior or comparable accuracy to that of six competitors. Furthermore, the statistical analysis of the results, including the Wilcoxon and Friedman tests, confirms the robustness and effectiveness of the approach used for parameter estimation in photovoltaic systems. These findings open up new prospects for the improvement and optimization of photovoltaic systems . • New algorithmic approach for avoiding local minima. • The separate evolution strategy is effective for multimodal problems. • The method excels in precision and stability compared to alternative. • Approaches. • The algorithm adapts to various PV models and environments.