Educational-Production Laboratory “Installation, Adjustment, and Operation of Photovoltaic Stations” (room 9119) of the Department of Energy Management and Technical Diagnostics of IFNTUNG was established in 2023 as part of the USAID “Energy Security Project,” funded by the U.S. government. The laboratory is unparalleled in Ukraine for practical training in the installation and commissioning of photovoltaic stations.
Learning Concept
Preparation in the laboratory is based on the principle that “an engineer should be able to do everything that a technician can do.” More than 60% of study time is allocated to practice — students gain real working qualifications, making them competitive in the job market. Practical skills are reinforced during the summer industrial practice, which is a mandatory part of the “Renewable Energy Engineering” educational program.
Training Program
In the laboratory, students learn the full cycle of work with photovoltaic stations:
- Mechanical installation of supporting structures and equipment for photovoltaic power plants.
- Electrical installation of PV equipment and systems, assembly of AC and DC panels, and electricity metering panels.
- Measurement and control of PV plant parameters according to the EN 62446 standard, including insulation resistance, leakage resistance, and grounding device transition resistances.
- Configuration of grid-tied and standalone inverters, charge controllers, commercial accounting systems, and remote monitoring.
- Commissioning of the PV plant, checking the operation of grid-tied and hybrid stations, assessment of shading impact on energy production.
Laboratory Equipment
FRONIUS Network Photovoltaic Inverters (Austria) — a leading brand in the field of solar energy, used in most industrial PV projects in Europe.
Autonomous Solar Power System Kits Victron Energy (Netherlands) — equipment from a world leader in autonomous power systems: inverters, MPPT charge controllers, lead-acid and lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Mounting Systems for Photovoltaic Modules Kripter (Ukraine) — allow mastering the mechanical installation of panels on roof and ground structures.
ETI PV Protection Equipment (Slovenia) — industrial protection means for photovoltaic installations against overloads, short circuits, and atmospheric overvoltages.
Information and Measurement Complex Seward PV150( United Kingdom) — a specialized device for performing a full range of measurements and monitoring of PV systems in accordance with the international standard IEC 62446:2009. It allows for checking the electrical safety and performance of photovoltaic installations in compliance with the highest international requirements.
Preparation of Teachers
To ensure quality education, the department’s teachers completed a training course “Solar Power Plants: Sales, Design, Installation” based at the company “Atmosphere” — one of the leaders in solar energy in Ukraine. This guarantees the relevance of knowledge and compliance of the educational process with real industry standards.