Simulation of dual-stage charge management circuit used in stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems

Abstract

As the rapid development of technology and global economy, the problem of energy crunch is becoming more and more aggravating because of world's increasing demand for energy consumption. Recently, solar energy has been explored as an alternative renewable source of energy of great importance because of its characteristics of inexhaustible. As a traditional rechargeable battery, the valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery is widely used in stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems because of its low cost and maintenance-free operation characteristics. Many researches and efforts in stand-alone photovoltaic systems have been concentrated on the maximum power point tracking of the solar arrays and the improvement of the efficiency of charging to increase the lifetime of battery.