Patent ID: 8338695

Claim:
A photovoltaic (PV) system, comprising: at least one PV panel having a panel surface for receiving solar radiation; a power sensor coupled to an output of said PV panel for sensing an output power (P) provided by said PV panel; a system controller including at least one computing device having associated memory that provides motor control signals, wherein said computing device is programmed to implement an iterative adaptive control (IAC) algorithm stored in said memory for adjusting an angle of said PV panel; wherein said IAC algorithm includes an iterative relation that relates said P at a current time k (P(k)), its elevation angle at said k (θ s (k)), said P after a next step (P(k+1)) and its elevation angle at k+1 (θ s (k+1)), said IAC algorithm operable to generate a perturbed power value P(k+1) to provide a power perturbation to said P(k), and calculate a position angle θ S (k+1) of said PV panel using said perturbed power value in said iterative relation; said system further comprising a mechanical system comprising a motor coupled to receive said motor control signals, said motor control signals positioning said PV panel to achieve said θ S (k+1); wherein said power sensor senses said P with said PV panel positioned at said θ S (k+1); and wherein said IAC algorithm further implements: comparing a change in said P resulting from said positioning to a predetermined P change limit, and if said change in said P is ≧said predetermined P change limit, repeating said generate, calculate and said positioning, and if said change in said P<said predetermined P change limit, waiting a predetermined waiting period before next performing said sensing said P.