At ENERCON 2025, Engineer Julito B. Añora Jr. unveiled an intelligent switching system designed to isolate shaded solar panels and recover power that would otherwise be lost due to uneven irradiance. The innovation aims to improve solar efficiency and reliability, especially for off-grid communities.

The system uses an optocoupler-based signal conditioning circuit and solid-state relays managed by an Arduino Nano microcontroller to detect and isolate shaded photovoltaic (PV) modules in real time. By doing so, shaded panels are prevented from acting as electrical loads that reduce total array output or damage other cells.

Añora explained that when one panel becomes shaded, the entire series-connected array suffers a drop in efficiency. The intelligent control system detects this shading and isolates the affected panels, allowing the rest of the array to maintain optimal performance.

MATLAB simulations showed that after reconfiguration, total output increased from 499 watts to 557 watts, illustrating how switching control can recover lost power.

Beyond the technical demonstration, he also emphasized the economic and social benefits of the innovation. By reducing shading losses, solar farms can achieve higher energy yields and improve return on investment for developers and communities relying on renewable energy.

“Intelligent switching mechanisms can be positioned as a technological innovation that lowers long-term costs, supporting subsidies, great financing, and inclusion in energy auctions.” Añora said.

Similar intelligent switching systems are already being applied in Singapore’s renewable energy projects. 

Añora expressed hope that the Philippines could also adopt such innovations to strengthen local solar infrastructure and improve energy access, especially for off-grid island communities like those in Mactan, Cebu, where his prototype has been tested.

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