Development of Novel Learning Materials for Green Energy Education Centered Around a Photovoltaic (PV) Test Station

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This project establishes a 2.5 kilowatt photovoltaic test station with associated instrumentation that is integrated into several courses in the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Laboratory experiments using the test station and corresponding course modules covering renewable energy, sustainability, and the smart grid are to be inserted into a project based freshmen engineering course and a junior level course on power systems engineering. A new senior level course in renewable energy is also being developed. The senior level course is multidisciplinary and is being offered to students in electrical engineering, systems engineering, engineering technology and physics. The project includes rigorous formative and summative evaluation plans with both qualitative and quantitative components coordinated by an independent evaluator. The evaluation plan is designed to establish the quality of the materials and to ensure the project goals are met. The project's results are being disseminated through conferences and journal publications and through workshops coordinated with professional societies. The photovoltaic test station is also being used as part of an outreach effort to high schools in the Little Rock area with the goal of getting high school students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, interested in science and engineering.