A novel auxin and wither mechanism combination optimization algorithm for maximum power point tracking of PV systems under partial shading

In photovoltaic (PV) systems, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is critical for optimizing energy harvest efficiency. When operating under partial shading conditions (PSC), traditional MPPT algorithms often fail to locate the global maximum power point due to multiple local peaks in the power-voltage (P-V) characteristic curve. This paper introduces a novel auxin and wither mechanism combination optimization (AWMCO) algorithm with three key innovations: a dynamic dual-mode tracking mechanism that balances global and local exploration based on the multi-peak characteristics of the P-V curve under PSC, an adaptive step size strategy that dynamically adjusts according to local gradient characteristics, and a position-based early stopping mechanism with convergence guarantees that eliminates redundant iterations. Further statistical validation on benchmark functions demonstrates AWMCO outperforming other metaheuristics, achieving superior mean accuracy and robust consistency. Comprehensive validation through both simulation and hardware experimentation demonstrates AWMCO’s exceptional performance—reducing tracking time by up to 81.6% compared to conventional meta-heuristic algorithms while maintaining tracking efficiency as high as 99.51% in real PV panels and reaching 99.99% in PV simulator tests. Dynamic load testing confirms the algorithm’s robustness under rapidly changing operating conditions, with recovery times of just 0.20–0.22 s following load transitions, outperforming comparative methods by up to 73.7%.