Evaluating the Role of Hour Angle in Photovoltaic Systems Amidst Various Partial Shading Conditions

Partial shading presents a significant challenge to the performance and efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, impacting their power output and overall reliability. As a result, shaded cells experience reduced current production, leading to mismatch losses, hot spots, and potential damage to the panels. This paper analyzes the performance of a 3kW photovoltaic system based on the hour angle of the sun. The effect of hour angle under partial shading contributes to a better understanding of PV system behavior under different conditions, which is important for integrating solar energy into the grid and ensuring its stability and reliability. The variation of irradiance is divaricated in three hour spans. The partial shading variations over the solar panels during the sunlight hours modifies the casted shadows from radiation obstructing structures impacting the performance of the solar panels. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique has been used to enhance the power during different partial shading conditions in MATLAB/ Simulink.