In the modern world, the demand for electricity has grown at alarming rates to meet the needs of society.
To meet these needs,
many power companies have chosen to seek alternative sources of energy besides the fossil fuels that the current infrastructure has become dependent upon.
Along this line of thinking, many have looked towards the sun to supply their energy needs, as the earth receives enough solar energy in one minute to meet the demands of one year of electricity [1].
Many other benefits to solar energy include the lack of pollution directly created by these systems and their inexpensive and viable nature.
Solar energy is only restricted by weather conditions,
the time of day and the manufacturing limitations of the system to supply power,
where fossil fuels require a finite supply of energy and involve many complications environmentally and economically.
Based on this argument,
the movement towards sustainability has become a global phenomenon,
where Cal Poly San Luis Obispo State University has instilled this theme in their entire curriculum,
as well as include courses specifically designed to examine renewable energy resources.
Currently, these courses do not include a laboratory that tests the characteristics of solar panels to determine their functionality in a completely solar-powered system.
By creating this testing procedure, the Electrical Engineering Department will be able to fulfill another theme of the university in “learning by doing”.