Development of an efficient and rapid computational solar photovoltaic emulator utilizing an explicit PV model

•Numerical computation of intricate PV equation complicates the structure of Photovoltaic emulator.•A new emulator based on a straightforward explicit PV model is introduced.•Integration of the explicit model into the PV features high simplicity and accuracy.•Developed PVE requires just one iteration to compute the PV model.•Proposed emulator is suitable for field PV testing. This paper presents a novel simplified and flexible Photovoltaic emulator (PVE) that effectively emulates the static and dynamic characteristics of a solar panel. By meticulously generating a benchmark for the entire system, the proposed PVE utilizes an original explicit PV model (EPVM). As an approximation of the implicit equation of the PV, the EPVM employs a Taylor series resolution. This methodology eliminates the necessity for numerous iterative computations, in contrast to previous frameworks, and as a result possesses formidable computational capabilities. Furthermore, it is clearly illustrated that the EPVM can be effortlessly incorporated into the PVE architecture, resulting in a straightforward and simplified procedure that contributes to its overall flexibility and simplicity. Using MATLAB/Simulink and a 200 W solar system, the developed PVE is investigated numerically. Through the application of nonlinear processes such as (maximum power point tracking) MPPT, the PVE's viability is confirmed. This study repeatedly emphasizes the superior qualities of the proposed PVE in simulating a solar panel in a straightforward, precise, and efficient manner, by conducting a comparative analysis with contemporary PVE designs. It is consistently determined through quantitative evaluations that the developed PVE achieves an efficiency exceeding 99 % and a maximum error rate of less than 0.7 %.