MPPT photovoltaic test instrument with data logging capabilities

World population is currently in excess of three billion people and is growing at two per cent per year. Modern man is energy hungry which has a detrimental impact on global energy resources. Solar energy could be a viable option with an abundance of solar radiation entering earth's atmosphere daily. Research are extensively done to best utilize this commodity especially in terms of efficiency. To be able to quantify efficiency the need arises for instrumentation that would be able to test, log and generate data for analysis. This paper demonstrates the development of an experimental instrument for validating PV module performance at maximum power in varying weather conditions. The instrument facilitates active loading according to a preloaded algorithm. To ensure continuous optimal loading is the popular maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm invoked in the test instrument. Logging capabilities ensures real-time data that are remotely accessible.