This paper presents a six-pulse-shift operation control mode for improving the efficiency and reducing the frequency of inverter switching for a photovoltaic generation system using a current-source pulse width modulation (PWM) inverter. This system is directly connected to a solar cell without using a storage cell. The proposed circuit can maintain the maximum voltage of photovoltaic generation by taking advantage of six buck-boost converters and a full-bridge inverter determines the polarity of the alternative current (AC) output. The six-pulse-shift operation of the current-source inverter is controlled by using the method of phase-shift PWM algorithm, and its operation is verified through experimental results. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.