The Power Engineering Group at the University of Puerto Rico proposes the adapta-tion and implementation of proven educational strategies that relate class theory to actual ap-plications. The first approach consists on integrating laboratory practices within courses in order to illustrate fundamental concepts of the course. The second strategy is to increase op-portunities for undergraduate research in power engineering to spark student interest and de-sire for scientific exploration. These experiences will improve student learning and ensure that there will be qualified professionals to meet the ever-growing energy demands of the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Instrumentation for the study of power system components will be used to implement these strategies. The proposed equipment will be used jointly with existing instrumentation in the Electric Machines laboratory to form the Energy Systems Instrumentation Laboratory (ESIL). The establishment of ESIL will provide both students and professors an environment to explore engineering ideas and concepts, fundamental principles as well as current issues and new research areas in power engineering. Activities and resources at ESIL will motivate students to learn more about energy principles, cultivating a desire for life-long learning. Pro-fessors will be able to combine teaching and research, and develop new teaching methods for the improvement of undergraduate education.

Activities at ESIL will include traditional laboratory practices; laboratory practices in-tegrated within courses; undergraduate research projects; demonstrations, seminars and short-courses. The use of technology and collaborative/cooperative learning techniques will also be a key element at ESIL.