A Simple Physical String Arrangement Reconfiguration (PSAR) for Enhanced Energy Production in Partially Shaded PV Arrays

Partial shading is a major challenge in photovoltaic systems, causing significant power losses, mismatch effects, multiple peaks in the nonlinear power-voltage (P-V) characteristics, hotspot formation, and long-term performance degradation. The severity of these impacts depends on the shading pattern, intensity, and spatial distribution of the affected modules within the photovoltaic (PV) array. To improve energy extraction from PV arrays under non-uniform irradiance, this paper proposes a Simple Physical String Arrangement Reconfiguration (PSAR) technique, which rearranges modules without requiring additional circuitry, sensors, or control algorithms. A 6 × 4 PV array was modeled and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink under seven representative partial-shading scenarios. Key performance evaluation indicators, including maximum power, mismatch loss, power loss, fill factor, and performance ratio, were computed and compared with four conventional topologies based on the Series-Parallel configuration: Series-Parallel, Bridge-Linked, Honeycomb, and Total-Cross-Tied. Simulation results demonstrate that PSAR increases energy yield by 10-25% and reduces power imbalance losses by 15-35% relative to the other layouts, whereas it maintains smoother P-V curves. Its simplicity, scalability, and independence from array geometry make PSAR a practical and cost-effective approach to enhance both efficiency and operational reliability in PV systems.