In this study, a performance assessment and analysis of a 1 MW three-phase photovoltaic (PV) power station connected to the electrical grid of a factory in Morocco are presented. The main objective of this research is to assess the performance of the PV power station and analyze its efficiency, energy generation, and operational characteristics. To accomplish this, a combination of field measurements, data analysis, and simulation techniques are used. The study begins by providing an extensive overview of the PV power station, including a thorough description of its main elements such as solar panels, inverters, transformers, and grid interconnection infrastructure. Furthermore, field measurements are conducted to collect data on solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and PV system power, as well as electrical parameters such as voltage, current, and power factor. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the performance and economic viability of the PV power station. These insights can serve as guidance for renewable energy stakeholders, investors, and policymakers, facilitating the development of sustainable solar energy projects and contributing to renewable energy targets.
In this paper, we propose a comparative study of linear and nonlinear algorithms designed for grid-side control of the power flow in a wind energy conversion system. We performed several simulations and experiments with step and variable power scenarios for different values of the DC-link capacity with the DC storage element being the key element of the grid-side converter. The linear control was designed on the basis of the internal model control theory where an active damping was added to avoid steady state errors. Nonlinear controls were built using first and second order sliding mode controls with theoretical considerations to ensure accuracy and stability. We observed that the first order sliding mode control was the most efficient algorithm for controlling the DC-link voltage but that the chattering degraded the quality of the energy injected into the grid as well as the efficiency of the grid-side converter. The linear control caused overshoots on the DC-link voltage; however, this algorithm had better performance on the grid side due to its smoother control. Finally, the second order sliding mode control did not prove to be more robust than the other two algorithms. This can be explained by the fact that this control is theoretically more sensitive to converter losses.