Feasibility Analysis of a Photovoltaic Power Generation System Using Different Charge Controllers

Renewable energy sources are widely used nowadays due to their contribution to the mitigation of environmental pollution. Among the most demanded options are photovoltaic solar energy systems, whose purpose is to meet the energy demand in rural areas without access to the electricity grid. In addition, these systems present notable advantages, such as the absence of greenhouse gas emissions, being one of the most efficient and mature technologies that currently exist. Charge controllers are an essential part of storage in a solar power system as they regulate the charging and discharging power of the batteries. However, system performance goes hand in hand with the use of these devices. The objective of the present investigation is the technical and economic analysis of a photovoltaic solar system, making use of different types of charge controllers. The results of the study indicate that under the same irradiance, an MPPT type charge controller has a power of 19 W, while a PWM controller reaches 14.3 W. The MPPT model presents an average of 37% more efficiency than the PWM model.