Most of the solar cell models suggested so far mainly employ steady state modeling methods to estimate the characteristic I-V curve of a solar cell at a certain operating point. Thus a study on the dynamic characteristics of a solar cell can rarely be found. For the design of a high performance power conditioning unit, it is essential to have accurate information about the static and dynamic characteristics of the solar cell. In this study an AC impedance model of a solar cell module is developed using Impedance Spectroscopy and it is then used for evaluating the effects of the ripple current generated by a single phase inverter. Experimental results verify that the energy conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic power system may be significantly reduced when the 120 Hz ripple current generated by a single phase inverter is larger than a certain value and an appropriate limit value for the 120 Hz ripple current is also suggested. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.