Complementary Switching-Based Reconfigurable Strategy for Hotspot Mitigation in PV Modules

In the domain of Photovoltaic (PV) power generation, the occurrence of hotspot phenomena is prevalent due to various factors, including cell mismatches within strings, shading, and mechanical damage. These hotspots are mitigated through the implementation of Bypass Diodes (BD). Innovative methodologies for hotspot mitigation integrate an additional active switch in series with the substring, in conjunction with the BD. This paper delineates a methodology designed to enhance these techniques by incorporating series and pull-down resistance within the gate circuit. Furthermore, it introduces a novel Complementary Switching Hotspot Mitigation (CSHM) circuit, which utilizes n-MOSFET and p-MOSFET components in series with the substring and within the bypass branch, respectively. The complementary switching performance is evaluated prior to constructing the CSHM module for experimentation. A comprehensive series of experiments has been executed on a 50-watt panel. A comparative analysis with conventional passive methods and prior techniques reveals a reduction in temperature in the shaded cell and an increase in output power. Moreover, the CSHM approach is practical, scalable, straightforward, and compatible with existing PV systems, thereby offering a resilient and effective solution for real-time hotspot mitigation.