The laboratory stand for measurements and analysis of photovoltaic modules

The Eco-Energy Engineering course for students of Mechanical Engineering at Master level at AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow is predominantly theoretical, with the additional computer-aided projects. In order to improve the quality of the course and make the learning process easier for students, some practical elements were introduced. One of them is the presented laboratory stand for the measurement and analysis of photovoltaic modules. The proposed platform consists of a photovoltaic module, rechargeable battery, variable load, charge controller, digital thermometer, solar radiation sensor, and measuring circuit. All the measured variables are stored on the SD card. Also, PC can be connected via the USB port. In order to make the teaching more dynamical, this stand was designed as mobile and it does not need an external power supply. A prototype of the stand was built and tested in real conditions during laboratory classes. A positive feedback from students showed the correctness of the proposed learning schedule and the didactic potential of the laboratory stand.