Solar energy harvester (SEH) for wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes with compact models of solar panel and harvesting circuits includes a photovoltaic (PV) panel, DC-DC converter and control circuit, battery and an inverter. Energy harvesting using small portable polycrystalline PV panel is used to enable WSN nodes in the proposed design. Requirement of small size sensor nodes demands smaller size solar cells that can generate only limited energy. Voltage generated from the compact PV panel is less than the required output voltage even at maximum sunlight. In order to increase the voltage, PV panel is directly connected to boost converter. Since super capacitors have lower power density and higher leakage, Lead acid rechargeable battery is used as energy storage device.