Abstract This paper presents a literature review of the recent developments and trends pertaining to Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems (GCPVS). In countries with high penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) resources, GCPVS have been shown to cause inadvertent stress on the electrical grid. A review of the existing and future standards that addresses the technical challenges associated with the growing number of GCPVS is presented. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), Solar Tracking (ST) and the use of transformless inverters can all lead to high efficiency gains of Photovoltaic (PV) systems while ensuring minimal interference with the grid. Inverters that support ancillary services like reactive power control, frequency regulation and energy storage are critical for mitigating the challenges caused by the growing adoption of GCPVS.