The matching of three-phase AC loads to photovoltaic generators (PVGs) for maximum power transfer using an enhanced version of the Akbaba model for I-V characteristic of PVGs is investigated. With an enhanced version of the Akbaba model, the model parameters are expressed directly in terms of percent solar radiation. With this improvement on the Akbaba model, only a single input. which is the percent solar radiation for a particular location on the globe, is required for the calculation of the complete performance of the PVG-load system, including available maximum (peak) power. With this new approach all previously needed iterative calculations to determine system performance are eliminated. As an application example, this new approach is applied to the matching of a three-phase load to PVG for maximum power transfer through a double DC-DC step-up converter and a six-step inverter. The effectiveness and accuracy of the model is demonstrated through detailed numerical results. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.