MPPT algorithm test on a photovoltaic emulating system constructed by a DC power supply and an indoor solar panel

•A novel PV emulator is constructed by using conventional solar panels with a DC power supply.•The proposed PV emulator is cost-effectiveness, relatively easy implementation.•The proposed PV emulator avoids the bandwidth problem associated with electronics PV emulators.•Indoor testing of MPPT algorithms and power converters avoids the dependency on solar irradiation.•The PV emulating system has been used for testing a P&O MPPT algorithm and a boost dc converter. In this paper a novel photovoltaic (PV) emulating scheme for testing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms and PV inverters has been proposed. It is constructed by the parallel connection of conventional solar panels with a DC power supply operating in current source mode. The advantages of the proposed scheme are cost-effectiveness, relatively easy implementation and indoor testing of MPPT algorithms and power converters avoiding weather and time of day dependency on solar irradiation levels. Furthermore, the proposed PV emulator avoids the bandwidth problem associated with the dc converter based PV emulating systems. Detailed circuit connection, parameters, electrical characteristics and mathematical model of the PV emulator are presented and discussed. Proposed PV emulating system has been used to test a boost DC/DC converter controlled by Perturb & Observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm. Test results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed PV emulation system and all achieved results correspond well to the original designed values.