Dear PV*SOL Support Team,

I would like to clarify how PV*SOL models local and global maximum power point tracking.

So far, I have only been able to run the simulation with a one-minute time step, and my understanding is that the global maximum power point is determined at each step. Could you please confirm whether this interpretation is correct?

In practice, an inverter may track a local maximum between periodic global scans, with scanning intervals of, for example, 10 or 30 minutes, depending on its settings. I would like to reproduce this behaviour to obtain simulation results that better reflect actual inverter operation.

Is it possible to:

• Select local MPPT tracking instead of global tracking?

• Set the global scanning interval independently of the simulation time step?

• Account for energy losses during global scans and operation at a local maximum between scans?

If these options are available, where can I find them? Otherwise, what MPPT behaviour does PV*SOL assume?

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry.

For each simulation step, the software determines the MPP of the entire module string. This involves scanning the complete characteristic curve to locate the global maximum. Any shading of modules—and the resulting changes to the module's characteristic parameters—are taken into account. If the MPP falls outside the inverter's MPP tracking range, this results in a corresponding loss in yield.

Regarding your questions:

• Unfortunately, it is not possible to select local MPP tracking instead of global MPP tracking.

• Furthermore, the interval for global scans cannot be set independently of the simulation's time-step size.

• Energy losses resulting from the MPP tracking process are shown in the energy balance:

You can find further information on the underlying calculation methods in our help documentation.