Extracting the Parameters of Three-Diode Model of Photovoltaics Using Barnacles Mating Optimizer

Modeling of solar generating systems (SGSs) is necessary for recognizing their performance under various conditions of solar irradiance, temperature, and loading. There are nine unbeknown parameters (UPs) in the three-diode model (3-DM); if they are accurately determined, it can exactly identify the real characteristics of SGSs. Parametrization of the 3-DM of SGSs is a nonlinear problem that can be solved via optimization due to its effectivity in determining the optimal parameters to a variety of symmetrical and asymmetrical problems with nonlinearity. Root-mean-squared errors amongst measured and extracted electric current points are the fitness functions to be minimized. The main contributions of this article are the innovative utilization of the barnacles mating optimization algorithm (BMOA) for precise parametrizing of the 3-DM of SGSs and the experimental validation of the SGS. The optimization procedure is based on real measurements of I/V at specific circumstances, in which BMOA is employed to identify the nine UPs of 3-DM of SGSs. Two SGSs are under study, the first of which (Kyocera KC200GT) is widely utilized in the literature for performing comparisons, and the second (Copex P-120) is experimentally set up during different sun irradiances and temperatures. The results of BMOA emphasize its preference over other optimizers for identifying the nine UPs of 3-DM of SGSs.