Static and dynamic reconfiguration approaches for mitigation of partial shading influence in photovoltaic arrays

•This paper deals with state of the art of various static and dynamic reconfiguration techniques for avoiding power losses due to partial shading.•Challenges in implementing various reconfiguration techniques to attain maximum power in PV systems are discussed.•Comparative analysis between various reconfiguration techniques based on various performance parameters is elucidated.•Energy saving and income generation analysis are also outlined for assessment.•Future scope is presented to give path to new researchers to work in this field. Environmental conditions have a strong influence on the behavior and quality of the generated photovoltaic (PV) power. The partial sharing condition is a natural phenomenon that reduces the lifetime of the PV array and the effectiveness of the entire system. Dispersing the shadow equally over PV panels is the solution to avoid the negative impact of the partial shading condition. Accordingly, PV array reconfiguration has become an attractive topic of study for researchers. In this paper, the authors provide a comprehensive review of all the schemes proposed for the PV reconfiguration system. In addition, a comparative study among all the published approaches and the challenges facing each approach are presented. Future research topics that highlight new methods to produce higher power from an available PV system are discussed.