Harmonic Elimination in Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Using Various Multilevel Inverter Topologies

Notice

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | 01 | Page :
    By

    Roches Ranjan Pradhan,

  • Khageswar Mantry,

  • Satyajit Pradhan,

  • Sourabha Parida,

  • Bibhu Prasad Ganthia,

  1. Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, Dhenkanal, Odisha, India
  2. Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, Dhenkanal, Odisha, India
  3. Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, Dhenkanal, Odisha, India
  4. Student, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, Dhenkanal, Odisha, India
  5. Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, Dhenkanal, Odisha, India

Abstract

The increasing penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into modern power grids necessitates advanced power electronic interfaces capable of delivering high-quality electrical power with minimal harmonic distortion. Multilevel inverters (MLIs) have emerged as an effective solution due to their ability to synthesize near-sinusoidal output voltages with reduced switching losses and electromagnetic interference. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of harmonic elimination in grid-connected PV systems using 5-level, 7-level, and 11-level multilevel inverter topologies. Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) and optimized switching angle techniques are employed to suppress dominant low-order harmonics while maintaining the desired fundamental output voltage. Comparative performance analysis is carried out in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD), voltage waveform quality, switching stress, and computational complexity. Simulation results demonstrate that increasing the number of voltage levels significantly enhances harmonic mitigation, with the 11-level inverter achieving the lowest THD and superior spectral performance compared to the 5-level and 7-level configurations. The results further indicate improved power quality compliance with IEEE standards, making higher-level MLIs particularly suitable for high-power PV applications. The findings provide valuable insights for selecting appropriate multilevel inverter topologies in PV systems to achieve efficient harmonic elimination and reliable grid integration.

Keywords: Photovoltaic systems; Multilevel inverter; Harmonic elimination; Selective harmonic elimination; Total harmonic distortion; Power quality

How to cite this article:
Roches Ranjan Pradhan, Khageswar Mantry, Satyajit Pradhan, Sourabha Parida, Bibhu Prasad Ganthia. Harmonic Elimination in Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Using Various Multilevel Inverter Topologies. Trends in Electrical Engineering. 2026; 16(01):-.
How to cite this URL:
Roches Ranjan Pradhan, Khageswar Mantry, Satyajit Pradhan, Sourabha Parida, Bibhu Prasad Ganthia. Harmonic Elimination in Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Using Various Multilevel Inverter Topologies. Trends in Electrical Engineering. 2026; 16(01):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/tee/article=2026/view=238962


References

1. Vaidya S, Prasad K, Kilby J. The role of multilevel inverters in mitigating harmonics and improving power quality in renewable-powered smart grids: a comprehensive review. Energies. 2025 Apr 17;18(8):2065.

2. Andela M, Shaik A, Beemagoni S, Kurimilla V, Veramalla R, Kodakkal A, Salkuti SR. Solar photovoltaic system-based reduced switch multilevel inverter for improved power quality. Clean Technologies. 2022 Jan 2;4(1):1-3.

3. Gopal Y, Birla D, Lalwani M. Selected harmonic elimination for cascaded multilevel inverter based on photovoltaic with fuzzy logic control maximum power point tracking technique. Technologies. 2018 Jul 2;6(3):62.

4. Heredia-Larrubia JR, Perez-Hidalgo FM, Ruiz-Gonzalez A, Meco-Gutierrez MJ. Discontinuous Multilevel Pulse Width Modulation Technique for Grid Voltage Quality Improvement and Inverter Loss Reduction in Photovoltaic Systems. Electronics. 2025 Jul 3;14(13):2695.

5. Khizer M, Shami UT, Zia MF, Amirat Y, Benbouzid M. Selective harmonic elimination in a cascaded multilevel inverter of distributed power generators using water cycle algorithm. Machines. 2022 May 20;10(5):399.

6. Shuvo MM, Titirsha T, Amin N, Islam SK. Energy Harvesting in Implantable and Wearable Medical Devices for Enduring Precision Healthcare. Energies 2022, 15, 7495 [Internet]. 2022

7. Salah S. Comparative study of five-level and seven-level inverter controlled by space vector pulse width modulation. International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive System (IJPEDS). 2017 Jan 1.

8. Janiga SR, Tummala SK, Al-Kharsan IH, Faizan R. Bibliography analysis of Multilevel Inverters (2021-2022). InE3S Web of Conferences 2023 (Vol. 391, p. 01173). EDP Sciences.

9. Guo W, Xu W. Research on optimization strategy of harmonic suppression and reactive power compensation of photovoltaic multifunctional grid connected inverter. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems. 2023 Feb 1;145:108649.

10. Subramanian N, Stonier AA. A comprehensive review on selective harmonic elimination techniques and its permissible standards in electrical systems. IEEE Access. 2024 Jul 31;12:141966-98.

11. Zidane TE, Aziz AS, Zahraoui Y, Kotb H, AboRas KM, Jember YB. Grid-connected Solar PV power plants optimization: A review. IEEE Access. 2023 Jul 28;11:79588-608.

12. Forouzesh M, Shen Y, Yari K, Siwakoti YP, Blaabjerg F. High-efficiency high step-up DC–DC converter with dual coupled inductors for grid-connected photovoltaic systems. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2017 Aug 30;33(7):5967-82.

13. Miyani PB, Sant AV. Bode diagram based control system design of three phase grid tied photovoltaic systems with Quasi-Z source inverter. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022 Jan 1;62:7248-54.

14. Fernao Pires V, Cordeiro A, Foito D, José Pires A, Hao C, Francisco Martins J, Castro R. Compensation of unbalanced low-voltage grids using a photovoltaic generation system with a dual four-leg, two-level inverter. Electronics. 2022 Jan 20;11(3):320.

15. Mazibuko N, Akindeji KT, Moloi K. A review on the impact of transmission line compensation and RES integration on protection schemes. Energies. 2024 Jul 12;17(14):3433.

16. Melin P, Baier C, Espinosa E, Riedemann J, Espinoza J, Pena R. Study of the open-source Arduino Due Board as digital control platform for three-phase power converters. IEEE Access. 2021 Dec 27;10:7574-87.

17. Chen SJ, Yang SP, Huang CM, Chen YH. Interleaved high step-up DC–DC converter with voltage-lift and voltage-stack techniques for photovoltaic systems. Energies. 2020 May 16;13(10):2537.

18. Niazi KA, Yang Y, Sera D. Intrinsic-Capacitance-Based Differential Power Processing for Photovoltaic Modules. In2020 IEEE 21st Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL) 2020 Nov 9 (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

19. Karmakar T, Das Biswas S, Bhattacharjee S, Nandi C, Das B. A Comprehensive Survey on Harmonic Elimination in Multilevel Inverters Using Optimization Techniques for Power Quality Improvement. Recent Advances in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. 2025 May;18(4):381-99.

20. Bandahalli Mallappa PK. Design and implementation of high-level multilevel inverters: focusing on 15-level, 25-level, and 33-level topologies with asymmetrical configuration and optimal component choices.

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 16
01
Received 06/01/2026
Accepted 15/01/2026
Published 20/03/2026
Publication Time 73 Days
49

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics