This dissertation tries to track the route of power production from photovoltaic sources. A worldwide look into the photovoltaic solar power production is given. The theory behind the PV cell and its application in PV power modules is presented. The DC ? DC power converters usually associated with solar PV panels are showed. The main maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms are also showed. A solar PV system was dimensioned using the theoretical models and the solar PV modules (BS ? 40) available at the Departamento de Engenharia Electrotécnica (DEE). This system was used as a reference for designing a simulator implemented in MatLab?Simulink. This simulator includes all the components needed to test the different MPP tracking algorithms. Those components are: A PV solar module, which can be associated with others to form a solar panel; A Flyback DC ? DC power converter and a classic perturb and observe (P&O) tracking algorithm. A solar power meter that gives values in W?m2 was built in order to validate simulation values of the solar PV modules. Measuring the solar module characteristics (tension ? current) and knowing the solar irradiation at that given time it is possible to check if the simulated values and the measured ones agree. With the data collected in the simulation a new MPP tracking algorithm was presented. This is based in the classic P&O algorithm, but using modules that try to overcome the local maxima problem. It also tries to minimize the control oscillations in the converter?inverter, this is done in order to minimize losses and to maximize power production.