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Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614038002761728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kloppers, Conrad Jozua |
| author2 | Rix, Arnold. J. |
| author_browse | Kloppers, Conrad Jozua Rix, Arnold. J. |
| author_facet | Rix, Arnold. J. Kloppers, Conrad Jozua |
| author_sort | Kloppers, Conrad Jozua |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136194 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:40.774Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136194 Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems Kloppers, Conrad Jozua Rix, Arnold. J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Kloppers, C. J. 2026. Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/c2047197-b27b-40be-853e-086136f91f60 Employing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants is essential to maximise energy harvesting from all PV modules. In conventional systems, a central MPPT (CMPPT) is typically used to track the global maximum power point (GMPP) of the PV array. However, when the electrical specifications or I-V curves of individual PV modules differ (i.e. mismatch), power losses, referred to as mismatch power losses (MML), are induced. These losses can be mitigated by distributing the MPPT function to the module level. Using standard MPPT control techniques, module-level DC-DC converters (power optimisers) can individually track the maximum power point (MPP) of each PV module and thereby decouple PV modules from one another. This distributed MPPT (DMPPT) approach, however, remains uncommon in utility-scale PV power plants due to its added complexity and cost. A well-established phenomenon in PV systems is non-uniform PV module degradation, where PV modules degrade at different rates. This research investigates the impact of such variability on the I-V characteristics of a PV array and, consequently, on MML in conventional CMPPT systems. The additional recoverable energy (i.e. MML) through DMPPT provides a baseline for assessing whether retrofitting power optimisers into conventional CMPPT systems could be cost-effective. Furthermore, a design solution for the power optimiser is proposed to verify the stability and maximum energy-harvesting capability of such a retrofitted system. The results show that in a CMPPT scheme, MML starts well below 1 % and increases to about 4.25 % of the total available power after 30 years of PV plant operation due to non-uniform PV module degradation. Assuming that the power optimisers can mitigate all the mismatch losses (100 % converter efficiency), and to keep the hardware cost per unit of energy aligned with current utility-scale PV power plants in South Africa, the cost of a single power optimiser would need to be around R 110 if it is installed at the beginning of the 30-year operational period. While the proposed power optimiser effectively mitigates MML and ensures maximum energy harvesting, manufacturing it at this cost is currently impractical. Consequently, employing DMPPT to address non-uniform PV module degradation in utility-scale PV plants appears economically unattractive at present, though it may become viable if power electronic component costs decline in the future. Masters 2026-04-24T12:44:08Z 2026-04-24T12:44:08Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136194 en Stellenbosch University 261 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Kloppers, Conrad Jozua Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title | Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title_full | Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title_fullStr | Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title_short | Degradation-Induced Mismatch Losses and Their Mitigation in Utility-Scale PV Systems |
| title_sort | degradation induced mismatch losses and their mitigation in utility scale pv systems |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136194 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kloppersconradjozua degradationinducedmismatchlossesandtheirmitigationinutilityscalepvsystems |