MPPT Solar Charge Controller for High Voltage Thin Film PV Modules

The work deals with a PV battery charge regulator assigned for advanced CdTe modules of output voltage much higher than the popular values of the order 12 or 24 V nominally. As at the same time most of the nominal PV autonomous installation voltages generally remain on the 12 or 24 V level because of convenience, technical tradition and battery features- this high DC module's voltage has to be transformed to a proper lower value by means of DC/DC inverter of possibly high efficiency. A new own developed 60/12 V charge controller solution is presented. This charge controller is equipped with a "step-down" inverter version furnished with modern MPP tracking technique. The choice of MPPT algorithm and its realisation by means of microprocessor are explained and discussed as well as final test and measurement results. Very satisfactory exploitation results permit to estimate the solution as a valuable one for the new high voltage modules' market