Development of a Global Maximum Power Point Tracker for Photovoltaic Module Arrays Based on the Idols Algorithm

The main objective of this paper is to develop a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) for a photovoltaic module array (PVMA) under conditions of partial shading and sudden changes in solar irradiance. PVMAs exhibit nonlinear characteristics with respect to temperature and solar irradiance conditions. Therefore, when some modules in the array are shaded or when there is a sudden change in solar irradiance, the maximum power point (MPP) of the array will also change, and the power–voltage (P-V) characteristic curve may exhibit multiple peaks. Under such conditions, if the tracking algorithm employs a fixed step size, the time required to reach the MPP may be significantly prolonged, potentially causing the tracker to converge on a local maximum power point (LMPP). To address the issues mentioned above, this paper proposes a novel MPPT technique based on the nature-inspired idols algorithm (IA). The technique allows the promotion value (PM) to be adjusted through the anti-fans weight (afw) in the iteration formula, thereby achieving global maximum power point (GMPP) tracking for PVMAs. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, a model of a 4-series–3-parallel PVMA was first established using MATLAB (2024b version) software under both non-shading and partial shading conditions. The voltage and current of the PVMAs were fed back, and the IA was then applied for GMPP tracking. The simulation results demonstrate that the IA proposed in this study outperforms existing MPPT techniques, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), cat swarm optimization (CSO), and the bat algorithm (BA), in terms of tracking speed, dynamic response, and steady-state performance, especially when the array is subjected to varying shading ratios and sudden changes in solar irradiance.