This paper describes the practical design of a portable capacitive load based on insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), which is used to measure the I-V characteristics of PV arrays with short-circuit currents up to 80 A and open circuit voltages up to 800 V. Such measurement allows on-site characterization of PV arrays under real operating conditions and also provides information for the detection of potential array anomalies, such as broken cells or defective connections. The presented I-V load is easy to reproduce and low-cost, characteristics that are within the reach of small-scale organizations involved in PV electrification projects. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.