This study suggests an intelligent control method for achieving the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in photovoltaic (PV) systems. MPPT technologies in PV systems are used to transfer maximum power under various environmental conditions. To improve the performance of the MPPT, the study develops a two‐level adaptive control structure that can facilitate system control and efficiently handle uncertainties and perturbations in the PV systems and in the environment. The first control level is a ripple correlation control (RCC), and the second is a model reference adaptive control (MRAC). The paper emphasizes mainly on designing an MRAC algorithm that improves the underdamped dynamic response of the PV system. The original state‐space equation of the PV system is time‐varying and nonlinear, and its step response contains oscillatory transients that damp slowly. Using a self‐constructing Lyapunov neural network (SCLNN), an adaptive law of the controller is derived for the MRAC system to remove the underdamped modes in the PV systems. Also, a self‐constructing mechanism for generating blocks in the recursive unit of the SCLNN is introduced. Since the size of the SCLNN is optimal and minimal, the computation time, which is an important factor for real‐time implementation, is greatly reduced. It is shown that the proposed control algorithm enables the system to converge to the maximum power point in milliseconds.