A Simulated Annealing based approach is proposed in this paper for optimal estimation of solar cell model parameters. Different solar cell models, namely single diode, double diode, and photovoltaic module, are used in this study to verify the proposed approach outcomes. The developed technique is used to solve a transcendental function that governs the current voltage relationship of a solar cell, as no direct general analytical solution exists. Several cases were investigated to test and validate the consistency of accurately estimating various parameters of different solar cell models. Comparative study among different parameter estimation techniques is presented to show the effectiveness of the developed approach. Furthermore, statistical analyses are carried out to measure the accuracy of the estimated parameters and model suitability. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.